How it works
The Diet Quality Index
A 0 to 100 rating of a food's overall nutritional quality. It is computed on your device, with a fixed formula, from public standards -- never decided by AI. The AI only ever reads the label into text; the score itself is deterministic and auditable.
What goes into the score
Nutrition -- the lead signal (Nutri-Score)
The base of the score comes from the product's Nutri-Score grade (A to E) -- the colour-coded nutrition label developed by Santé publique France and adopted across several European countries. It weighs calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt against protein, fibre, and fruit/vegetable content. A better grade gives a higher base score.
Processing (NOVA)
Ultra-processed products are marked down using the NOVA classification (groups 1 to 4), a food-processing framework from researchers at the University of São Paulo and cited in reports by the FAO and PAHO/WHO. The more industrial the processing, the larger the deduction.
Additives of concern
A short list of well-documented concern additives -- certain synthetic colours, for example -- lowers the score further. Most additives are not on this list and cost nothing.
Separately: ingredient hazard screening
Beyond the score, we screen the ingredient list against published watch-lists from health authorities. A match means the ingredient appears on one of those lists -- this is detection, not a verdict that a product is harmful to you. It sits in the same informational lane as tools like Yuka or EWG, never medical advice.
Our sources
The collaborative product database we read facts from, used under the Open Database License (ODbL).
Front-of-pack nutrition grade developed by Santé publique France.
Food-processing groups 1 to 4 (University of São Paulo; cited by the FAO and PAHO/WHO).
International Agency for Research on Cancer carcinogen classifications.
State of California (OEHHA) list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.
European Food Safety Authority opinions on additives.
Published endocrine-disruptor watch-lists.
What this is not
The Diet Quality Index is a nutrition rating -- not a safety rating, and not medical, dietary, or veterinary advice. What2Know is an informational tool, not a medical device, and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Whether a product suits a particular person -- an allergy, a diet, an age -- is a separate, per-profile check on the result screen. Recipes change, so always check the physical label.
What2Know -- by CHASM AI Inc.