In three steps

How a score gets to 100.

01 — Start at NOVA

Every food gets a NOVA group from 1 to 4. NOVA 1 is unprocessed (apples, raw chicken, plain oats). NOVA 4 is ultra-processed (soft drinks, packaged ready meals, cheap sliced bread). Our base score is 96 for NOVA 1, 78 for NOVA 2, 58 for NOVA 3, and 32 for NOVA 4.

02 — Subtract for industrial additives

Each E-number on the label costs 4 points. Mono- and diglycerides (E471), DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and artificial colours cost more. Real butter, slow fermentation, and short ingredient lists cost nothing.

03 — Subtract for length

If the ingredient list runs past 8 items, we deduct 1.5 points per extra ingredient. Most NOVA 1 products have 1–3 ingredients. Most NOVA 4 products have 15–30.

When NOVA is missing

Open Food Facts has NOVA data for about 30% of UK products. The other 70% get an estimated score derived from additive count and ingredient length alone, marked with a dashed dial. Estimated scores are good enough for browse and search, but only verified NOVA scores show up in featured picks and editorial rankings.

Whole foods don't get ranked

Broccoli is broccoli. There's no "more processed" cucumber. Whole-food categories (fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, raw nuts, dried herbs) are listed as references, not leaderboards.

The full rubric is open. Read the methodology page for the exact formulas, or push back on it: alexdenne@gmail.com.