The one-paragraph version. We read a product's ingredients and nutrition facts, run them through six scoring systems that nutrition scientists actually use, and blend the results into a 0–100 score that maps to a letter grade. A measure only counts when real data backs it — anything we can't verify is marked "not rated" and left out, and the rest rescale to 100. We never guess to fill a gap.
Why a single grade?
A nutrition label answers a hundred small questions and no big one. Is 9 grams of sugar a lot? Does "made with whole grains" survive the additive list? Is this "protein" bar really a candy bar? Nutrication's job is to collapse all of that into the one judgment you actually want at the shelf: is this a good choice, or not? The letter is that answer; the breakdown below is the receipt.
The six frameworks
Each framework looks at the food from a different, well-established angle. They're weighted by how much each one tells you about everyday healthfulness, then combined.
Processing level · up to 35 points
Based on the NOVA classification (Monteiro et al.), which sorts foods by how industrially processed they are — from whole foods (Group 1) to ultra-processed formulations (Group 4). Decades of research tie ultra-processed foods to worse health outcomes independent of their nutrients, which is why this is the single heaviest input. A bag of lentils scores high here; a neon energy drink does not.
Nutritional quality · up to 30 points
Based on Nutri-Score (Hercberg / Santé publique France), the front-of-pack system used across Europe. It rewards protein, fiber, and fruit/veg/legume/nut content, and penalizes calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium — using the official 2023 algorithm, including its separate rules for beverages.
Nutrient density · up to 20 points
How much good nutrition you get per calorie, scored against FDA Daily Values in the spirit of Nutrient-Rich-Foods (NRF) indices. This is what separates an empty-calorie snack from one that's genuinely feeding you — fiber, protein, and key micronutrients relative to the energy they come packaged with.
Ingredient flags · up to 20 points
A deduction-based check of the ingredient list against advisories from the IARC, EFSA, and EWG — additives, certain sweeteners and colorings, and other ingredients with credible safety questions. A clean, short ingredient list keeps all its points; a list full of flagged additives loses them.
Glycemic load · up to 15 points
An estimate of blood-sugar impact (Jenkins et al.), combining a food's carbohydrate quality and quantity per serving. It rewards slow, fiber-rich carbohydrates and penalizes fast, refined ones — the difference between steel-cut oats and a sugary cereal.
Fat quality · up to 15 points
Looks at the kind of fat, not just the amount — the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat, aligned with American Heart Association guidance and the Mediterranean-diet evidence (PREDIMED). Olive oil and salmon are rewarded; foods heavy in saturated fat are not.
How the points combine
The six measures are weighted as below, then the food's earned points are scaled onto a 0–100 score. The weights sum to more than 100 on purpose — the final score is a blend scaled to 100, not a simple checklist total.
| Measure | Based on | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Processing level | NOVA · Monteiro et al. | 35 |
| Nutritional quality | Nutri-Score · Hercberg | 30 |
| Nutrient density | FDA Daily Values · NRF | 20 |
| Ingredient flags | IARC · EFSA · EWG | 20 |
| Glycemic load | Jenkins et al. | 15 |
| Fat quality | AHA · PREDIMED | 15 |
Honesty rule: a measure only counts when real data backs it. If a label is missing the numbers a framework needs, that framework is marked not rated and excluded — and the remaining measures rescale to 100 so the food isn't unfairly punished for a gap in the data. We'd rather rate five things we're sure of than guess at a sixth.
What the letter means
| Grade | Score | In plain terms |
|---|---|---|
| A | 80 – 100 | Eat freely |
| B | 65 – 79 | Good choice |
| C | 45 – 64 | Occasional |
| D | < 45 | Limit / avoid |
Personalized to you — on your device
If you tell the app about your goals or conditions (say, high blood pressure, diabetes, or a high-protein goal), the grade is fine-tuned to what matters for you — a salty soup is marked down harder if you've flagged blood pressure, for instance. That personalization runs on your device; your health profile isn't required to get a grade, and isn't sold or shared. See our Privacy Policy for the details.
Where the data comes from
Packaged-product data comes from Open Food Facts, the open, community-built food database, supplemented by reading the label or meal photo you provide. The frameworks above are drawn from published, peer-reviewed nutrition science — each one cited where it's used.
Not medical advice. Nutrication is an educational tool. Grades are general guidance, not dietetic or medical advice, and AI label-reading can be imperfect — always check the physical package, especially for allergens. See our Terms of Service.