How the nutrition estimate works

UNPACKD calculates a repeatable estimate from recorded nutrition per 100 g. Higher numbers are more favourable under this method. Compare similar foods, such as nut spreads with nut spreads.

The reference and our conversion

The basis is the published UK Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling model from 2004–2005, documented by the Department of Health in 2011. Its original purpose was food-advertising assessment. UNPACKD’s adaptation and /100 display have not been independently validated as a health assessment, and are not an official UK rating, Nutri-Score, FSSAI rating or percentage measure of health.

Reference points for energy, saturated fat, total sugar and sodium are added. Eligible fibre, clearly declared leading whole-nut content and protein points are subtracted. Protein credit is restricted when limiting points are high, as specified in the reference model. Total fat itself is not penalised, and added sugar is not counted a second time on top of total sugar.

The theoretical reference range for solid foods is −15 to 40 with display conversion: round((40 − net reference points) × 100 / 55). For liquid beverages per 100 mL, we use the European Nutri-Score / Rayner beverage adaptation, with display conversion: round((20 − net reference points) × 100 / 20), bounded to 0–100. A number on this scale is a comparison aid, not a probability, daily allowance or medical recommendation.

Conservative assumptions

We require recorded energy, saturated fat, total sugar, sodium, fibre, protein, carbohydrate and total fat, a clear 100 g basis and ingredients. Missing required values, conflicting values and unsupported product types withhold the score. Known zero remains zero.

Only one clearly quantified leading whole-nut ingredient is credited in this first version. A declared “Peanuts (68%)” provides a minimum evidenced nut contribution; percentages are never guessed from ingredient order or summed across nested ingredients. Other fruit, vegetable and nut content is unquantified and receives no assumed credit. This is a conservative omission, not a claim of zero content.

Fibre uses the more conservative published AOAC point bands because the assay method is not recorded. The calculation also shows a possible higher estimate using maximum composition credit and the alternate published fibre bands. That upper value is an uncertainty illustration, not a measured score.

Supported profiles

This release covers solid snacks, chocolate, breakfast foods, spreads, sauces/condiments (with an explicit 100 g basis) and beverages (with a 100 mL or 100 g basis). Solid foods share the reference nutrient tables; nut composition changes the available credit. Ready-to-drink beverages evaluate sugar and energy under dedicated beverage thresholds per 100 mL, penalising liquid sugars more strictly than solid foods. When sodium, fibre or protein is not recorded, products receive a clearly labelled provisional score: unrecorded sodium is counted at a conservative penalty (10 points for solids, 2 points for beverages) and unrecorded fibre/protein earn no credit, so the shown number is a lower bound and a higher possible estimate is displayed. Energy, total sugar and carbohydrate must still be recorded. Infant products, reconstitution products, dairy and other unsupported categories need an applicable profile first.

What the score leaves out

Allergens, contaminants, individual medical needs, processing classification, regulatory compliance, reviews and popularity are separate. A source-derived score does not verify the packaging or country formulation. AI cannot invent the number or fill missing nutrition; cited AI research is a separate system.

Scores are stored as immutable snapshots tied to the product facts, source revision and method version. Factual or methodological changes create a new snapshot. Numerical calculation makes no paid AI call and does not regenerate cached research.

Method version: unpackd-npm-estimate-4. Published 6 November 2026. Independent nutrition-expert calibration, broader composition support and usability validation remain future work; this release is explicitly an estimate.

Reference: Department of Health and Social Care — nutrient profiling model. Point tables and worked examples. Contains public-sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. No official logos or endorsement are used.