GreenScore® food rating method
How do we rate food and beverage products?
Our GreenScore® food rating uses an unbiased, evidence-based approach to evaluate food and beverage products’ impact on your health and sustainability. We score products across four categories: nutritional value, level of processing, food safety, and environmental footprint.
Within each category, products are scored from 1 to 100. A product’s total GreenScore® is the average of its four category scores, with each category weighted equally.
When we suggest products to you, we use your GreenScore® category weights to identify products that match your personal values well.
1. Nutritional Value
For the Nutrition rating, each food product is evaluated based on (i) the key ‘beneficial nutrients’ it supplies, (ii) the amount of ‘nutrients to limit’ it contains, and (iii) whether it provides healthful foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. The more nutritious a product is, the higher the food will rate.
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Very high nutritional value
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High nutritional value
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Some nutritional value
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Low nutritional value
2. Level of Processing
For the Processing rating, each food product is evaluated based on the degree of processing it has undergone, specifically (i) the processing methods used and (ii) whether it contains natural or artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, or other additives. The closer a product is to its natural state, the higher the food will rate.
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Unprocessed or minimally processed
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Moderately processed
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Highly processed
3. Food Safety
For the Food Safety rating, each food product is evaluated based on (i) the risk associated with pesticide and herbicide residues from production (considering probability and toxicity), (ii) the use of antibiotics and hormones (when raising animals), and (iii) the presence of toxic additives (with known health concerns). The lower the risk, use and presence, the higher the food will rate.
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No health risk
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Low health risk
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Moderate health risk
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Significant health risk
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Very significant health risk
4. Environmental Footprint
For the Environmental Footprint rating, each product is evaluated based on its (i) estimated carbon footprint and (ii) its estimated water footprint, per serving. The carbon footprint considers the greenhouse gas emissions (measured as carbon dioxide equivalents) emitted throughout the lifecycle of each ingredient. The water footprint considers the blue, green, and grey water used throughout the lifecycle of each ingredient. The lower the estimated footprints, the higher a product will score.
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Very low footprint
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Low footprint
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Moderate footprint
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High footprint
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Very high footprint
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Extremely high footprint
Sources
Our GreenScore® food rating considers research and data from the following organizations:
United States Department of Agriculture
World Health Organsation
United States Food and Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Research institutes:
Conducting independent studies
Disclosure from GreenChoice
We’re constantly evolving our GreenScore® food rating as new research emerges and trustworthy data becomes available.
The descriptions used to describe each rating tier constitute the opinion of GreenChoice. They only qualify the food ratings according to the GreenScore® rating method. These descriptions do not refer directly to the product’s quality. The information provided is for informational purposes only. Although we aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee is made to that effect.
The app does not offer medical advice, or attempt to diagnose or treat any health problem, disease, or dietary condition. The information contained herein should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other healthcare provider.
Disclosure from GreenChoice
We’re constantly evolving the GreenScore® food ratings as new research emerges and trustworthy data becomes available.
The descriptions used to describe each rating tier constitute the opinion of GreenChoice. They only qualify the food ratings according to the GreenScore® rating method. These descriptions do not refer directly to the product’s quality. The information provided is for informational purposes only. Although we aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee is made to that effect.
The app does not offer medical advice, or attempt to diagnose or treat any health problem, disease, or dietary condition. The information contained herein should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other healthcare provider.
