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

Six authorities: FDA, EFSA, FSA, FSANZ, Health Canada, 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 —The formula.

score = 100
         − Σ penalty(ingredient, regulator, severity)
         + Σ bonus(certification, whole-food, short-list)

C —A worked example.

Frosted Flakes Classic · Kellogg's

US formulation · 34g sugar per 100g · contains BHT

Start Base score every product starts here

−22 Added sugar above 22.5g / 100g UK FSA amber threshold

−12 BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) banned in EU food packaging

−8 Artificial color (FD&C Yellow 6) banned in EU without warning label

−6 Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4) —

+0 Certifications / whole-food bonus none

52 Final Grain Score / 100

D —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.