Ultra-Processed Food IsEverywhere. Now YouCan Spot It.At Home & in the Aisle.
Search 445K+ grocery products and instantly see how processed they really are, before they land in your cart.
What this is
A reference index for the US grocery aisle, built from nearly 2 million product records.
We pull every US grocery product into a single database, curate the 445K+ worth knowing about, and score each on processing and nutrition. You search; we surface what we've learned about it.
445K+ products curated.
From nearly 2 million source records, we merge the many listings that describe the same barcode and filter out the long tail of defunct SKUs, so what you search reflects what's actually on shelves.
Two scores per product.
Processing (uncapped, lower is better) for how the food is made. Nutrition (0 to 10, higher is better) for what's in it. The two are independent, and they don't always agree.
Methodology in the open.
Scores are computed from public ingredient lists and USDA nutrition data. The full methodology is published.
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Scan a grocery barcode with Ketzal and see what we publish here, wherever you shop. Scanning is free and needs no account.
For iPhone. Android support is coming soon.
Based on the ingredient list we have. We can't see shared equipment or "may contain" warnings. Always check the package.
The two-score system
Processing and nutrition don't always correlate.
Some ultra-processed foods score well nutritionally, while some “healthy” foods hide extensive processing. Two scores, side by side, tell a fuller story than either one alone.
Worked example
from a real product pageCheerios Cereal
Whole grain oats lead the ingredient list, followed by corn starch, sugar, salt, and an added vitamin and mineral premix. In our analysis, the processing score reflects how the cereal is made; the nutrition score reflects what it delivers.
See the full product pageProcessing Score
uncapped · lower is betterFour levels gated at 2.5 / 5.0 / 8.0. Reflects how far the food has traveled from its natural state, through additives, preservatives, and industrial methods.
Nutrition Score
0 to 10 · higher is betterBeneficial nutrients like protein and fiber weighed against the concerning ones, like added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
Front label vs. ingredient list
The label on the front rarely tells you how processed it is.
Two products you'd sort very differently on instinct, scored side by side. The ingredient list is where the gap shows up.
Tool · Alternatives finder
Have a product in mind? Find the less-processed version that's already on shelves.
Type in a product name. We'll surface less-processed alternatives in the same category, with both scores side by side.
Open the finderFrom the field guide
We don't just count ingredients.
We explain them.
Most of what's worth knowing isn't in the score itself. It's in why the score is what it is. Our guides cover ingredient deep-dives, methodology, and how to read the back of the box.
What Are Ultra Processed Foods?
The plain-language introduction: what counts as ultra-processed, what does not, and why the distinction matters.
Methodology
How We Score 445K+ Products
Foundations
NOVA Food Classification System Explained
Reference
Ultra Processed Food Ingredients to Avoid
How-to
How to Read Food Labels
From the index