What Is a Food Health Score?
Comparing food products is hard. Nutrition panels are dense, ingredient lists are long, and marketing claims are misleading. Health scores solve this by distilling everything into a single, comparable number.
NOVA Classification
Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, the NOVA system classifies foods into four groups based on processing level:
- Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs)
- Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients (oils, butter, sugar, salt)
- Group 3: Processed foods (canned vegetables, cheese, bread)
- Group 4: Ultra-processed foods (soft drinks, chips, instant noodles, frozen dinners)
Multiple large-scale studies have linked higher consumption of NOVA Group 4 foods with increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and all-cause mortality.
Nutri-Score
Used in France, Germany, Spain, and other European countries, Nutri-Score assigns a letter grade from A (best) to E (worst). It considers positive factors (fiber, protein, fruits and vegetables) against negative ones (calories, sugar, saturated fat, sodium). While helpful at a glance, it doesn't account for additives or processing level.
How You Scan Scores Products
You Scan uses a 0–100 scale that combines multiple factors:
- Processing level and ingredient quality
- Nutrient density and balance
- Additive safety based on current research
- Allergen risk assessment
A score of 80+ indicates a product with high-quality, minimally processed ingredients. Below 40 suggests significant concerns worth investigating. The goal isn't to be prescriptive — it's to give you the information to make your own informed decisions.