How the Grain Score is calculated.
A score is a starting point, not a verdict. Below is every input, every weight, and every assumption we make — in plain language.
A —The inputs.
Ingredient profile
What's on the label. Whole foods score higher. Ultra-processed additives deduct.
Regulatory stance
The regulator that governs your market — FDA, EFSA, FSA, FSANZ, Health Canada, or Swissmedic. Bans weigh the most.
Additive & contaminant signals
PFAS, microplastics, endocrine-disrupting additives, controversial colorants. All flagged.
Personalization overlay
Your allergies, diet, and preferred certifications reshape the final number for your copy.
B —A worked example.
Frosted Flakes Classic · Kellogg's
US formulation · 34g sugar per 100g · contains BHT
C —What we don't know.
Nutrition science is not settled. Regulators disagree. Formulations change without notice. The Grain Score is our best attempt at synthesis — it will be wrong sometimes. When an ingredient is genuinely contested, we show the disagreement instead of hiding it. And when we change the formula, we publish a changelog here.