How a score works

How ClearShelf scores food

Every product gets two scores. One tells you how good the food is. The other tells you how well it fits the way you eat.

Force of Nature MeatsGrass Fed Beef Ribeye SteakWeighted as fresh meat, fish, eggs
85Excellent
Diet score for ketoKeto100· Compatible
  • Nutrition · counts 20%74
  • Ingredients · counts 5%100
  • Processing · counts 5%98
  • Sourcing · counts 55%88
  • Transparency · counts 15%78
High confidence · Scored on 10 of 11 inputs, 4 claims verified
Two scores, two questions

How good is it, and does it fit how you eat?

Universal score (0-100)

The same for everyone. How good is this food, compared with similar foods?

Diet score

Just for you. Does this food fit the diet you picked, such as keto, low-sodium, gluten-free or vegan, using limits you can change?

Choosing a diet never changes the universal score. A product can fit your diet and still score low. That is the point.

The score

Five parts, weighted by the type of food

Every product is scored on five parts, each from 0 to 100. How much each part counts depends on the type of food, because what matters for a steak is not what matters for a soda.

  1. 1

    Nutrition

    Carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber and sodium, compared with similar foods. We score carbs and fats by quality, not quantity. Added sugar and lower-quality nutrients lower the score.

  2. 2

    Ingredients

    Short lists of whole foods score high. Added sugar, synthetic dyes, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, seed oils and other additives lower it.

  3. 3

    Processing

    How close the food is to its whole form. A raw steak scores high; an ultra-processed snack scores low.

  4. 4

    Sourcing

    How and where it was raised or grown: named farms, grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised, regenerative, organic. Claims we can verify earn more.

  5. 5

    Transparency

    How much you can check: a complete ingredient list, specific claims and third-party certifications.

Pick a food type to see how the parts are weighted.

Fresh meat, fish, eggs (steaks, ground beef, whole chickens, fish fillets, eggs)

  • Nutrition20%
  • Ingredients5%
  • Processing5%
  • Sourcing55%
  • Transparency15%
All 14 food types as a table
How much each part counts, by food type (percent of the score)
Food typeNutritionIngredientsProcessingSourcingTransparency
Fresh fruit and vegetables15006520
Fresh meat, fish, eggs20555515
Processed meat2025251515
Dairy3020152015
Beverages3530101015
Fats and oils2520202015
Nuts and seeds3015152515
Grain products3520151515
Canned and frozen produce, legumes3020102020
Snacks, sweets, desserts303025510
Plant-based alternatives3520151515
Ready meals, soups, sauces3525151015
Sweeteners and spreads3025152010
Salt, spices, baking staples545201020
See it on a real product

Grass Fed Beef Ribeye Steak: 85, Excellent

Weights for fresh meat, fish, eggs. This is the live score from its product page.

85Excellent

Nutrition 74 × 20% + Ingredients 100 × 5% + Processing 98 × 5% + Sourcing 88 × 55% + Transparency 78 × 15% = 85

High confidence · Scored on 10 of 11 inputs, 4 claims verifiedOpen the product page
  • Nutrition · counts 20%74

    Typical for red meats; no added sugar per 4oz

  • Ingredients · counts 5%100

    Single ingredient: Beef

  • Processing · counts 5%98

    Raw boneless ribeye with beef as the only ingredient

  • Sourcing · counts 55%88

    100% grass-fed and finished; the brand says cattle have pasture access

  • Transparency · counts 15%78

    Beef is the only ingredient; specific raising claims, but no ranch named

Now add a diet. The universal score stays 85.

Keto100· CompatibleOnly meat, fish, eggs or fat in the ingredients, so no carbs. 0 g net carbs per serving, within your 5 g limit. 0 g net carbs per 100 g, within your 10 g limit. 0 g added sugar per serving, within your 1 g limit.
The diet score

Does it fit the way you eat?

Pick one or more diets. We check each product against that diet’s rules and limits and tell you if it fits.

  • Keto96· CompatibleMeets every rule and your limits.
  • Gluten-free78· Compatible with caveatsFits, with something to know, such as a “may contain” warning or being close to your limit.
  • Vegan· Not compatibleBreaks a rule or goes over a limit.
  • Halal· UnverifiedWe do not have enough label information to say.

Change the limits. Defaults come from published guidance. You can change any limit and reset it any time: in the shop’s Dietary filter, or under “Your diet score” on a product page.

  • Tier 1: Allergy and medical safety. Compatible only with label evidence or a certification. We show the label text we used. Limits can only be made stricter. (Gluten-free, Dairy-free with an allergy, Allergen-free)
  • Tier 2: Certification. Compatible only with a recognized certification mark; otherwise Unverified. (Vegan, Low-FODMAP, Halal, Kosher)
  • Tier 3: Lifestyle and patterns. Checked against the ingredient list and nutrition label, with a confidence level. (Keto, Low carb, Mediterranean, Low sodium, High protein, Low sugar, Vegetarian, Plant-forward, Dairy-free, Lactose-free, Seed-oil-free, Paleo, Whole30, Carnivore, My exclusions)

Try it

Pick a diet, then change its limit. The status updates at once.

Universo BrandsParmcrisps Original Parm Cheese Crisps19 crisps (28g): 160 cal, 13 g protein, 1 g carbs, 370 mg sodium
68Fair
High protein70· Compatible with caveats13 g protein per serving, a little under your 15 g target. 8.1 g protein per 100 calories, a little under your 10 g target.
gDefault
gDefault

The universal score stays 68 whatever you choose.

For allergies and celiac disease, always check the product’s own label. We show the label text we used, but labels can be wrong or out of date. We only mark gluten-free and allergen diets as compatible when the label confirms it.
How we check it

Read, quote, calculate, review

  1. 1

    We read. Our AI reads the product page, the label and the brand’s own website.

  2. 2

    We keep receipts. Every fact we use is backed by an exact quote from the brand’s own page.

  3. 3

    A fixed formula sets the number. A written scoring guide with worked examples sets the points, and a formula calculates the score, so the same product always gets the same score.

  4. 4

    People step in when asked. Weekly checks flag products for a person to review, and brands can send evidence.

Scoring guide v3.1 · Updated October 20, 2026 · See what changed

Ingredients

What we penalize, and how sure we are

The Ingredients part starts at 100 and loses points for each of these. Every rule carries its evidence level; open a tag to see the sources.

EvidenceWhat and whyPoints
Strong evidence (sources)

Health authorities set clear limits.

Added sugar and hydrogenated oils (trans fat). Health authorities set clear limits, so these lower scores and can cap them.Added sugar: −20 for each in the first three ingredients, −8 in the fourth or fifth, up to −40Hydrogenated oil: −40, and the score can't go above 49
Moderate, evolving (sources)

Evidence is growing and regulators are acting.

Synthetic food dyes. Studies suggest some children are sensitive to them, and the FDA is phasing petroleum-based dyes out. We lower the Ingredients score.−15 each, up to −30
Mixed evidence (sources)

Health agencies disagree on how much it matters.

Artificial sweeteners. Health agencies disagree on how much they matter, so we apply a moderate deduction and say so.−12 each, up to −24
ClearShelf standard (sources)

Our house standard, not a medical claim.

Seed oils. We lower the Ingredients score, by up to 18 points, when seed oils such as canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower and corn oil are used. This is our house standard, not a medical claim: research on seed oils is mixed, and major health groups have not found harm at typical intakes. If you want to avoid them completely, turn on the Seed-oil-free filter. Seed-oil-free filter−18 in the first three ingredients, −10 later in the list, −5 in the “2% or less” part. One deduction per product, however many seed oils it lists.
Varies by additive (sources)

Each additive is tiered by regulator and IARC positions, separating hazard from risk.

Synthetic preservatives and other additives. Each additive is tiered by what regulators and the WHO’s cancer agency say about it, keeping hazard and risk apart.High concern −15, moderate −10, limited −4, none 0Refined flour or starch in snacks and sweets: −6 each, up to −24

Ceilings

Some foods can't score above a set number, whatever their other parts score.

  • Contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil: no higher than 49. WHO and FAO advise keeping trans fat as low as possible, under 1% of energy.
  • Processed meat (bacon, deli meat, sausage, jerky): no higher than 69. The WHO's cancer agency (IARC) classes processed meat in Group 1.
  • Sugar-sweetened beverage: no higher than 59. WHO guidance on free sugars; drinks are graded on a stricter track.
  • Fresh red meat: no higher than 90. The WHO's cancer agency (IARC) classes red meat in Group 2A.
Reading a score

Bands and confidence

  • Excellent85 and up
  • Good70 to 84
  • Fair50 to 69
  • PoorUnder 50

Confidence. Every score shows how much of it rests on verified information. When a product does not say something, we score that part in the middle and lower the confidence instead of marking it down.

  • High confidenceAt least 80% of the 11 inputs, and its sourcing claims quoted
  • Medium confidenceMost inputs present
  • Low confidenceUnder 50% of the inputs

Inputs: ingredient list, serving size, calories, sugar, sodium, fiber, protein, fat, where it is from, how it was raised or made, food type.

Not enough info to score: no ingredient list we can read (and not a single-ingredient whole food), so no number is shown. Nutrition facts not available: scored, with Nutrition in the middle and lower confidence.

Questions

Why does keto-friendly bacon have a low universal score?

Because the two scores answer different questions. Bacon can fit a keto diet and still be a processed meat that scores low overall.

Does a high diet score mean a food is healthy?

No. It means the food fits the diet you picked. A vegan candy can be vegan and still score low.

Why are carbs not penalized?

Research shows the type of carbohydrate matters more than the amount. We reward fiber and whole grains and penalize added sugar, never the natural sugar in fruit, milk or honey. If you want fewer carbs, pick a low-carb or keto diet.

Why do different foods use different weights?

Sourcing matters a lot for a steak and almost nothing for baking soda. Weights follow what actually separates foods in each category.

Is honey marked down for its sugar?

No. Nutrition compares honey with other sweeteners, and pure honey has no added sugar, so it scores like a typical sweetener: a B for nutrition. Beef is compared with other meats the same way. Honey used to sweeten another food does count as added sugar in that food.

What do the nutrition grades A to E mean?

They compare a product with similar foods. A: clearly better than most foods of its kind. B: typical for its kind. C: worse than typical. D and E: much worse, usually from added sugar or a lot more sodium or saturated fat than similar foods.

Is coconut sugar treated differently from cane sugar?

No. In a recipe, coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey and agave count as added sugar just like cane sugar: the higher up the list, the bigger the deduction. Sold on their own, they are compared with other sweeteners and aren’t marked down as added sugar.

What happens when a product doesn’t say something?

We score that part in the middle and lower the confidence instead of marking it down. Missing information is never scored as bad. When a label gives calories but not the serving weight, we estimate the weight from the calories, score on that and say so.

Why does a product say “Not enough info to score”?

We only score a product once we can read what’s in it: a real ingredient list from its label or product page, or a single-ingredient whole food like beef or honey. Without one, it shows “Not enough info to score” instead of a number. It stays in search, but not in score sorting, score filters, top picks, promoted spots or recipe swaps. Brands can claim the listing and add their label to get it scored.

What if there are no nutrition facts?

A product with an ingredient list but no nutrition facts is still scored. Its Nutrition part sits in the middle, its confidence is lower, and the product page says “Nutrition facts not available”. When we can’t read the label, we look the product up by barcode on Open Food Facts, a free, open food database, and use its nutrition facts, credited on the page.

Do you use Open Food Facts?

As a backup and a check. The label and the brand’s own page come first. When a product has no nutrition facts of our own, we use Open Food Facts’ values for the same barcode and say so on the page. When their numbers differ a lot from what we read, a person checks it. Their Nutri-Score and NOVA group are shown for reference; they are not part of our score. Open Food Facts data is available under the Open Database Licence.

What does Unverified mean?

We could not confirm it from the label or a certification, so we will not call it compatible.

How can a brand correct a score?

Send us evidence, such as a certification or a page that states your practice, and we will review it.

Is this medical advice?

No. Scores and diet filters are tools. If you have a medical condition or take medication, talk to your clinician before changing how you eat.

For brands

Think a score is wrong?

Send us evidence and we will review it.

Submit evidence

Scoring guide v3.1, updated October 20, 2026

Version history and sources

v3.1 · October 20, 2026

  • Nutrition compares each product with similar foods: sodium, saturated fat, fiber and protein are measured against what is typical for its food type in our catalogue, so honey is compared with sweeteners and beef with meats. A typical product of its type scores a B.
  • Only added sugar lowers Nutrition. Honey, maple syrup and other sweeteners sold as themselves, whole and dried fruit and plain milk are never marked down for their natural sugar. For drinks, sugar from juice counts too (WHO free sugars).
  • When a label prints calories but no serving weight, the weight is estimated from the calories at what is typical for similar foods, and the product is scored on that estimate with lower confidence, rather than mid-range.
  • Every product was recalculated from the facts already on file; nothing else in the score changed.

v3.0 · October 19, 2026

  • A fifth part, Nutrition, judges what is in a serving within its food type. Fiber and whole grains raise it, added sugar lowers it; total carbs never do.
  • Each of 14 food types weights the five parts differently: sourcing matters most for fresh food, nutrition for drinks and grains, ingredients for staples.
  • Ingredients starts at 100 and loses points for listed concerns, each with its evidence level. Seed oils are a labeled ClearShelf standard.
  • Ceilings: hydrogenated oils cap a score at 49, processed meat at 69, sugar-sweetened drinks at 59 and fresh red meat at 90.
  • Every score shows its confidence: how many inputs it rests on and how many claims were verified.
  • The AI reads the product and supplies the inputs; a fixed formula calculates the number.

v2.0 · October 19, 2026

  • Brands' own About, Farm and Standards pages are read once and count for the products they cover, each fact backed by an exact quote.
  • A written scoring guide with worked examples; products scored one at a time; a one-line reason stored for every part.

v1.0 · October 12, 2026

  • Four parts: Ingredients 35%, Sourcing 30%, Processing 20%, Transparency 15%.

Sources

Several sources are summaries or news coverage of primary studies. Scores are not medical, nutrition or legal advice.