How scoring works

Scoring version 1.0.0 · 中文版

Two scores

Score for everyone: 0–100, the same for every user, calculated on our server.
For you: once you set up a health profile, worked out on your phone for your situation. Our server never sees your profile.

Scores are calculated only by code, following fixed rules. AI is used only to translate, sort products into categories and read label photos; it never scores. The app's score sheet shows the scoring version and data date behind every score.

1. Score for everyone (0–100)

Nutrition 0–70
Additives 0–20
Processing 0–10

Score = nutrition + additives + processing

1.1 Nutrition (0–70)

Based on the Health Star Rating (HSR) system run by the Australian and New Zealand governments. Following the public algorithm in Annex 1 of the HSR Implementation Guide v9.1, we use energy, saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, protein, dietary fibre, and the share of fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes per 100 g (or 100 mL) to get a rating from 0.5 to 5 stars, then convert it to nutrition points:

Nutrition = (stars − 0.5) ÷ 4.5 × 70, rounded

Stars	Points	Stars	Points
0.5	0	3	39
1	8	3.5	47
1.5	16	4	54
2	23	4.5	62
2.5	31	5	70

When the pack shows a Health Star Rating, we use it as printed, so we always agree with the pack.
When it doesn't, we use our own calculation with the same algorithm. It only feeds the nutrition points and is never shown as a number of stars: under the HSR guide, ratings that aren't on the pack must not be presented commercially as official ratings, and the star logo is a registered trade mark. The app shows an HSR only when it's printed on the pack, as text such as “HSR on pack: 4.0”, without the star logo.
Accuracy: using October 2026 data, we compared our calculation with the ratings printed on 3,264 packs: 77.4% match exactly, 92.9% are within half a star and 96.8% within one star. Most large differences come from packs still using the pre-2020 algorithm, ratings printed for the product as cooked with other ingredients, nutrition panels matched to the wrong product by the retailer, or labels that leave out fibre and fruit or vegetable content.
Missing label information: if the panel doesn't list fibre or protein, we count it as zero; the share of fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes is estimated conservatively from the ingredient list. The score may then be on the low side, and the app says so.
As sold or as prepared: products are rated as sold, except products made up with water or diluted, which are rated as prepared; the app points this out.
Automatic ratings (guide section 4.1): plain water 5 stars, unsweetened energy-free flavoured water 4.5 stars, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables 5 stars.

1.2 Additives (0–20)

Start at 20 and take off 5 points for each additive marked “caution” on grounds (a)–(c) below, down to 0. Additives marked “caution” only because of a (d) label statement are shown but take nothing off. Alternatives printed as “A or B” (“Thickener (1442 or 1422)”) are both listed but count as one additive, taking points off at most once. A product with nothing to take off gets the full 20. Additives have only two statuses:

Permitted: allowed in New Zealand and Australia (listed in the shared FSANZ Food Standards Code), with none of the four kinds of official concern below.
Caution: also allowed in both countries, but with at least one kind of official concern below.

Official concern	Codes	Points
(a) The six colours that must carry the EU label warning “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children” (New Zealand and Australia don't require it)	102, 104, 110, 122, 124, 129	−5
(b) Withdrawn or banned in the EU for safety reasons while still permitted in New Zealand and Australia	171, 216, 311, 312, 556, 559	−5
(c) The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed the additive, or a by-product characteristic of it, in Group 2A or 2B	150c, 150d, 171, 249–252, 320, 553, 951, 962	−5
(d) FSANZ requires a label declaration or statement: sulphites (declared at 10 mg/kg or more); polyols and polydextrose (excess may have a laxative effect); aspartame and similar (contains phenylalanine)	220–225, 228; 420, 421, 953, 965–968, 1200; 951, 962	None (951 and 962 already count under (c))

37 codes are currently marked “caution”, and 22 of them take points off. Rule (b) counts only the EU: codes withdrawn only in the US or China but still permitted in the EU (such as amaranth 123, cyclamate 952 and sodium aluminium phosphate 541) count as permitted. (d) is a statement for particular people (those sensitive to sulphites, people with PKU, large amounts of polyols), and sulphites also raise the allergen alert, so it does not lower the everyone score. Caution doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it: every one of them is permitted in New Zealand. The app's additive notes set the New Zealand (FSANZ) position beside other agencies' conclusions and dates. For example, titanium dioxide (171): no longer authorised in food in the EU since 2022, while FSANZ kept it permitted after its 2022 review.
Additives with no official concern, such as MSG (621), are explained but don't lose points.
Our dictionary covers the 367 codes found in New Zealand ingredient lists, 326 of which are additives: English names come from Schedule 8 of the FSANZ Food Standards Code (or JECFA and EU lists for codes outside it) and Chinese names from GB 2760-2024. The other 41 numbers look like codes but aren't additives (including obvious misprints), so they are neither shown nor scored. The dictionary was reviewed on 17 October 2026. We update the dictionary when official assessments change.
No single additive caps the score. The three parts of the score are shown separately in the app's score sheet.

1.3 Processing (0–10, estimated)

Estimated from markers of ultra-processing in the ingredient list, an approach based on group 4 (ultra-processed foods) of the NOVA classification (as defined in 2018). There are three kinds of marker:

Additive classes: colours, flavour enhancers, sweeteners, emulsifiers (phosphates included), modified starches, glazing agents and anti-caking agents, each class counting once. Thickeners, gelling agents, stabilisers and raising agents don't count, such as guar gum, pectin, cellulose gums and anything the label lists as a raising agent; calcium carbonate is usually there as a source of calcium and isn't counted as a colour;
Ingredients: flavourings, hydrogenated or interesterified fats, hydrolysed or isolated proteins, maltodextrin, industrial sugars such as glucose syrup and glucose-fructose syrup, and mechanically separated meat;
Categories that are ultra-processed by definition: soft drinks, energy drinks, cordials, lollies and confectionery, instant noodles and cola.

What we find	Processing	Points
No markers and 5 ingredients or fewer	Low	10
No markers but more ingredients, or 1–2 markers	Medium	6
3 markers or more	High	2

The app always labels the processing level as an estimate.

1.4 When there's no ingredient list

If a product has a nutrition panel but no ingredient list, additives and processing take middle values (10 and 5 points), and the app notes that the score is incomplete.

1.5 Grades

75–100 Excellent
50–74 Good
25–49 Fair
0–24 Poor

The app always shows the grade in words as well as colour, so it's clear for people with colour vision deficiency.

2. When there's no score

These products don't get a score. The product page says why, and still shows ingredients, allergens and additives:

alcohol, and alcohol-free beer, wine and cider (excluded by the HSR guide);
non-food products;
infant and toddler foods and formula;
sports nutrition, protein powders and bars, weight-management products, vitamins and supplements;
products used in tiny amounts, such as herbs, spices, seasonings, salt, tea and coffee (the HSR guide considers them unsuitable for rating per 100 g);
products with no nutrition panel in the supermarket listing;
nutrition panels that contradict themselves, for example saturated fat above total fat, sugars above carbohydrate, more than 105 g of nutrients per 100 g, or energy far out of line with the nutrients. We've seen retailers attach another product's panel, and we'd rather not score than score wrongly.

If a product is missing its nutrition panel, you can add it with photos in the app; once approved, it can be scored.

3. “For you”: the personal score

Your allergens, intolerances, special situations and goals stay on your phone. The “For you” result and score are worked out on the phone; our server only provides product information that is the same for everyone.

3.1 How it's calculated

Personal score = score for everyone − deductions + bonuses (kept within 0–100)

Each issue takes off points by level: high −25, medium −12, low −5.
Each aspect counts once, at its most serious level. For example, if both “less sugar” and “buying for a child” flag high sugar, it's deducted once.
Bonuses (for example high fibre, high protein or low sodium) add 5 or 10 points each, up to 10 in total.
When a product has no score for everyone (alcohol, for example), you get a verdict but no personal score.

3.2 Verdicts

Verdict	When
Not for you	Any “hard conflict”. The score ring turns red and no score is shown
Not recommended	Any high-level issue
In moderation	Any medium-level issue; or no medium or high issues but a personal score below 50
Suits you	No medium or high issues, and a personal score of 50 or more
Not enough info	The product has no score, or no allergen and ingredient information

Hard conflicts are:

the pack declares that it contains one of your allergens;
lactose intolerance and a product containing dairy (hard and semi-hard cheeses and butter only get a mild note; products labelled lactose-free get none);
hereditary fructose intolerance and a product with sources of fructose, sucrose or sorbitol;
pregnancy and foods New Zealand Food Safety (MPI) says not to eat, alcohol and energy drinks (Australian pregnancy food advice is broadly the same);
buying for a child and alcohol or energy drinks.

3.3 What each setting checks

Thresholds are per 100 g (solids) or per 100 mL (liquids).

Setting	What it checks	Main sources
Allergens	The allergen statement on the pack, plus an ingredient dictionary (casein and whey mean milk, for example). “Contains” means not for you; “may contain” means not recommended, and you can turn that alert off in your profile	FSANZ Standard 1.2.3
Lactose intolerance	Milk, milk powder, whey, cream, lactose and similar mean not for you; hard and semi-hard cheeses and butter get a mild note; products labelled lactose-free get none	Health NZ; ASCIA
Fructose malabsorption	Fructose, high-fructose syrups, honey, agave, invert sugar, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and apple, pear or mango concentrates mean not recommended	Health NZ low-FODMAP diet
Hereditary fructose intolerance	All of the above, plus sucrose (white and brown sugar), maple syrup, molasses, fruit and fruit juice, sucralose and polysorbates, mean not for you	GeneReviews
Pregnancy	Foods MPI says not to eat (such as unpasteurised products, sushi and raw fish, ready-made salads, dips with tahini, kombucha), alcohol and energy drinks mean not for you; deli meats, pâté, soft cheeses, smoked fish, chilled cooked seafood and sprouts must be heated above 75 °C first, so they're not recommended; liver and kidney (no more than 100 g a week), fish that can be high in mercury, brown seaweed and caffeine (up to 200 mg a day) mean in moderation	MPI; Health NZ; Eating and Activity Guidelines
Breastfeeding	Alcohol and energy drinks are not recommended; caffeine is in moderation	Health NZ; FSANZ Standard 2.6.4
Buying for a child	Alcohol and energy drinks are not for children; caffeine, the six colours, and high sugar or sodium mean in moderation; sweeteners get a mild note	FSANZ; EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex V; WHO
Buying for an older adult	High sodium means in moderation; high protein and high calcium earn bonuses	Chinese Dietary Guidelines; Chinese DRIs; GB 28050
Less sugar / diabetes	Total sugars: ≤5 g low, 5–22.5 g medium, >22.5 g high; drinks ≤2.5 g low, ≤5 g medium, >5 g a sugary drink. Practically sugar-free (≤0.5 g) earns a bonus. Plain milk and yoghurt are judged one level lower, because their sugar is mostly lactose	FSANZ 1.2.7; GB 28050; Chinese Dietary Guidelines; WHO
Less salt / blood pressure	Sodium: ≤120 mg low (bonus), 120–600 mg medium, >600 mg high; drinks over 300 mg are high	FSANZ 1.2.7; GB 28050; UK FSA; WHO
Less saturated fat / cholesterol	Saturated fat: ≤1.5 g low (bonus), >5 g high; drinks ≤0.75 g low, >2.5 g high. Hydrogenated oil in the ingredients, or more than 0.3 g of declared trans fat, means in moderation	FSANZ 1.2.7; GB 28050; WHO
Weight management	High energy density (over 1600 kJ), high sugar or fat, and sugary drinks mean in moderation; fibre ≥6 g and protein ≥12 g earn bonuses	GB 28050; Chinese Dietary Guidelines; NZ Eating and Activity Guidelines
Muscle gain	Protein ≥12 g earns 10 points, ≥6 g earns 5; thresholds are halved for drinks	GB 28050
Gout	Offal, shellfish, crustaceans, squid and roe, meat stock and gravy, processed meat, sugary drinks and alcohol are not recommended; fish, meat extracts, high-fructose syrups and fruit juice, butter and cream mean in moderation. Labels don't show purines, so this goes by the ingredients; diet is only one of the things that affect uric acid	China NHC gout diet guide (2024); WS/T 560—2017; Health NZ
Mediterranean-style eating	Processed meat, high sugar, hydrogenated oil and high processing mean in moderation; refined starch gets a mild note; whole grains, omega-3 sources and high fibre earn bonuses. This only says how closely a product fits that eating pattern; it doesn't mean any food has a health effect	WHO healthy diet; Chinese Dietary Guidelines; NZ Eating and Activity Guidelines; IARC Volume 114

The free plan covers every allergen, intolerance and special situation plus one health goal; Premium lets you combine several goals.

4. Reference standard

You can choose “Chinese Dietary Guidelines” or “Australia–New Zealand / WHO”. The default follows your app language: Chinese for the Chinese interface, Australia–New Zealand / WHO for English. You can switch at any time under Me.

The high, medium and low thresholds are the same under both. What changes is which sources each verdict lists first, and which daily reference amounts Premium uses for “% of daily reference”:

Daily reference	Chinese Dietary Guidelines	Australia–New Zealand / WHO
Energy	8400 kJ	8700 kJ
Protein	60 g	50 g
Fat	60 g	70 g
Saturated fat	20 g	24 g
Carbohydrate	300 g	310 g
Sugars	50 g	90 g
Dietary fibre	25 g	30 g
Sodium	2000 mg	2000 mg

The Chinese column uses the GB 28050 nutrient reference values (NRV), with sugars set at the added-sugar limit in the Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022). The Australia–New Zealand column uses the daily intake values in the shared FSANZ Standard 1.2.8, with sodium set at New Zealand's suggested dietary target and the WHO recommendation.

5. Allergens

Matched to the legal categories under Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) in New Zealand and Australia: peanut, nine tree nuts (almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut), egg, fish, crustacean, mollusc, milk, sesame, soy, lupin and wheat, plus cereals containing gluten and sulphites.
Two routes are combined: the allergen statement printed on the pack (Contains / May contain) and a fixed dictionary matched against the ingredient list.
Allergens are decided only by the fixed dictionary, never by AI. The app always shows the original English wording and reminds you to check the pack.
Our data may come from older packaging, and imported products don't always follow Australian and New Zealand rules, so the pack in your hand always has the final say.

6. Where the data comes from

Product information: public listings from New Zealand and Australian supermarkets plus user contributions, updated daily; shown for the country you choose, and the two countries' data are never mixed.
Open Food Facts: for products neither country's supermarkets list, we first show community data from Open Food Facts so you know what the product is. Volunteers enter it, so it may be incomplete or out of date; the product page says where it comes from, and the pack is what counts. Products with a nutrition panel are scored with the same rules as above. Photos are by Open Food Facts contributors under CC BY-SA, loaded from its servers. The data is available under the Open Database License, and our Chinese translations of it can be downloaded: chamingbai.com/open-data.
Translations: names, introductions and ingredients are translated into Chinese by a language model (DeepSeek or Anthropic's Claude), which receives product text only, using a fixed glossary for ingredient terms (additive classes follow GB 2760 wording) and automatic checks that no additive codes or percentages are lost. Traditional Chinese is converted from Simplified.
Contributions: Anthropic's Claude reads the text on label photos, in whatever language it is printed (Alibaba Cloud Model Studio when Claude is unavailable). The result is published once approved, by us or automatically when two people's submissions match.
Corrections: if you spot an error, tap Report on the product page or email support@chamingbai.com. Brand owners can use the same address to ask for corrections.

7. Sources

Titles are given in the language of the original. Links checked in October 2026.

7.1 Health Star Rating

Health Star Rating System Implementation Guide (v9.1) — Health Star Rating, Australian and New Zealand governments
Health Star Rating online calculator — Health Star Rating
HSR Calculator 4.2 (Excel) — Health Star Rating
Health Star Rating System Calculator and Style Guide v8.1 — Health Star Rating (worked examples used in our tests)

7.2 Personal rules and nutrient levels

7.3 Additives

FSANZ Food Standards Code

Schedule 8 — Food additive names and code numbers (for statement of ingredients) — FSANZ (compilation in force 16 Sep 2025)
Schedule 7 — Food additive class names (for statement of ingredients) — FSANZ
Schedule 9 — Mandatory advisory statements — FSANZ
Schedule 15 — Substances that may be used as food additives — FSANZ
Schedule 16 — Types of substances that may be used as food additives — FSANZ
Media statement on aspartame — FSANZ, 24 Jul 2023
Review of titanium dioxide as a food additive — FSANZ
Titanium dioxide assessment report — FSANZ, 2022
Food colours — FSANZ
Sulphites — FSANZ

China

GB 2760-2024《食品安全国家标准食品添加剂使用标准》查询库 — 国家食品安全风险评估中心 (source of Chinese names; the standard's text prevails)
Notice on aluminum-containing food additives use adjustment — National Health and Family Planning Commission of China and four other departments, 2014

European Union

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V — European Union (as adopted, via legislation.gov.uk)
Directive 2006/52/EC — European Union
Regulation (EU) 2018/1481 — European Union
Regulation (EU) No 380/2012 — European Union
Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, specifications for food additives — European Union
Titanium Dioxide is No Longer Authorised as a Food Additive in the EU from 7 August 2022 — Food Safety Authority of Ireland
Titanium dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive — EFSA, 6 May 2021
EFSA reviews safety of caramel colours — EFSA, 8 Mar 2011
EFSA confirms safe levels for nitrites and nitrates added to food — EFSA, 15 Jun 2017
Safety and efficacy of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as a feed additive for all animal species — EFSA Journal, 2018 (restates the 2011 ADI for BHA, E 320)

United States

FD&C Red No. 3 — US Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR 81.10 — US Code of Federal Regulations
21 CFR 81.30 — US Code of Federal Regulations
21 CFR 189.135 — US Code of Federal Regulations

International

IARC Monographs: List of Classifications — International Agency for Research on Cancer
Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released — WHO, IARC and JECFA, 14 Jul 2023
Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) — WHO

7.4 Processing

The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing — Monteiro et al., Public Health Nutrition 21(1):5–17, 2018

How scoring works

Two scores

1. Score for everyone (0–100)

1.1 Nutrition (0–70)

1.2 Additives (0–20)

1.3 Processing (0–10, estimated)

1.4 When there's no ingredient list

1.5 Grades

2. When there's no score

3. “For you”: the personal score

3.1 How it's calculated

3.2 Verdicts

3.3 What each setting checks

4. Reference standard

5. Allergens

6. Where the data comes from

7. Sources

7.1 Health Star Rating

7.2 Personal rules and nutrient levels

New Zealand and Australia–New Zealand

China

International and other

7.3 Additives

FSANZ Food Standards Code

China

European Union

United States

International

7.4 Processing