Our Methodology
Transparent, evidence-based ethical scoring built on public data, certifications, and AI analysis.
8Dimensions
200+Certifications
50+Data Sources
How Scoring Works
Every product starts with a neutral score of 50 in each dimension. We then analyze multiple data sources to adjust scores up or down based on evidence.
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Data Collection
We pull product data from Open Food Facts and other public databases
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Label Analysis
Certifications and labels are matched against our rubric of 200+ signals
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Company Profile
Parent company practices, controversies, and positive initiatives are factored in
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AI Analysis
AI reviews ingredients, reviews, and news for additional context
The 8 Ethical Dimensions
Each dimension is weighted based on its relative importance to overall ethical impact. The final score is a weighted average.
22%
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Environment
Carbon footprint, packaging, deforestation, pollution, sustainable sourcing
Organic +12
Palm-free +15
Plastic -10
20%
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Labor
Fair wages, working conditions, supply chain ethics, worker rights
Fair Trade +18
Living Wage +15
Child Labor -15
12%
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Animal Welfare
Cruelty-free testing, vegan ingredients, humane treatment certifications
Vegan +18
Leaping Bunny +18
Gelatin -12
12%
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Transparency
Ingredient disclosure, supply chain traceability, public reporting
B Corp +10
Non-GMO +10
Hidden sourcing -8
10%
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Corporate Conduct
Business ethics, legal compliance, governance, stakeholder treatment
B Corp +18
1% Planet +8
Lawsuits -8
10%
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Geopolitical Ethics
Country of origin considerations, sanctions compliance, conflict sourcing
Conflict-free +10
Sanctioned origin -15
8%
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Health
Nutritional quality, harmful additives, Nutri-Score, clean label practices
Nutri-A +10
No additives +8
HFCS -10
6%
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Community
Local sourcing, small business support, cooperative ownership, social impact
Worker-owned +10
Local +10
Data Sources
We aggregate data from multiple trusted sources to build comprehensive product profiles.
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Open Food Facts
Crowdsourced database with millions of products, ingredients, labels, and nutritional data
Primary Source • High Trust
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Company Databases
Parent company ownership, controversies, certifications, and public commitments
Curated • Medium-High Trust
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Certification Bodies
Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, B Corp, Organic certifiers, and 50+ others
Official • High Trust
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AI Analysis
GPT-powered analysis of ingredients, reviews, news articles, and brand sentiment
Supplemental • Varies
Confidence Scoring
We're honest about what we don't know. Every score includes a confidence level based on available evidence.
High
Multiple verified sources, official certifications, recent data
Medium
Some certifications, company data available, AI analysis corroborates
Low
Limited data, no certifications found, mostly baseline assumptions
Trust Safeguards
We separate "not applicable" from "no evidence", weight sources by reliability, and keep score snapshots versioned over time.
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Applicability First
Different entity types activate different criteria. A dimension can be inapplicable, applicable-but-unproven, or supported by evidence.
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Weighted Evidence
Primary sources and strong reporting count more than weak commercial pages or duplicated narratives. Major negative claims need corroboration.
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Temporal Context
Recent incidents carry more scoring weight than old incidents. We also surface the score timestamp and methodology version on every report.
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Disputes & Audit Trail
Every score is tied to a specific snapshot, and disputed claims can be reviewed against the exact version that produced the rating.
Limitations & Disclaimers
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Opinion, Not Fact
Scores represent our interpretation of available data. They are not statements of absolute fact and may not reflect current conditions.
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Data Currency
Product data may be outdated. Companies change practices over time. Always check official sources for the latest information.
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Regional Variation
Products may differ by region. Ingredients, sourcing, and certifications can vary between markets.
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Dispute Process
If you believe our data is incorrect, submit a dispute and we'll review it promptly.
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Your Privacy Matters
We don't track what you scan. Barcode detection happens entirely on your device. We only fetch product data when you scan — no history, no profiles, no accounts required.