Database Facts
Food Database Facts & Statistics
Fascinating insights from analyzing 445K+ food products, revealing surprising patterns in ingredients, processing, and nutrition.
Database Overview
Processing & Nutrition
- Average Processing Score
- 6.5
- Average Nutrition Score
- 4.4
- Ultra-processed products
- 27.8%
- Extreme processing (PS>10)
- 18.2%
Ingredient Statistics
- Average ingredients/product
- 15.2
- Single ingredient products
- 44,300
- Perfect nutrition score (10)
- 4,279
Most Common Ingredients
These ingredients appear most frequently across all products in our database:
Most common ingredients by frequency
Insight: the top of this list is the same handful of cheap, shelf-stable staples in product after product, led by salt. Sweeteners reach further still: 61.4% of products carry at least one. These are the ingredients that drive Processing Scores up.
Products with Most Ingredients
These products contain the highest number of individual ingredients:
Products with the most ingredients
Note: These complex products often contain multiple sub-products or flavors, leading to extremely high ingredient counts and processing scores.
Brands with Best Combined Scores
Brands with 50+ scored products whose Nutrition Score, minus their Processing Score, is the highest in the catalog:
Brands with the best combined scores
Achievement: the figures above are averages across each brand's whole scored range, not its best line, so holding them takes consistency rather than one flagship product.
Surprising Food Facts
One Ingredient Is Everywhere
Salt is the single most common ingredient in the catalog, on the label of 38.7% of the 445K+ foods we score.
Single Ingredient Champions
44,300 products contain just one ingredient, 9.8% of the catalog, and every one of them sits at the bottom of the Processing Score scale.
Perfect Nutrition
4,279 products reach the top of the Nutrition Score scale, often whole foods with strong nutrient profiles.
Ultra-Processing Reality
27.8% of products are ultra-processed (Level 4), while 18.2% have extreme processing scores above 10.
Ingredient Extremes
The average product contains 15.2 ingredients, but some specialty items contain over 300 individual components.
Brand Diversity
Our database includes 25,230 unique brands, from major corporations to small specialty producers.
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About our scores and this content
Processing and Nutrition Scores reflect the ingredient lists and nutrient data we observe; they are our analysis, not absolute measures of health. Read the full methodology. This information is provided for general nutrition education and is not medical, health, or dietary advice. Product formulations change often, so check the actual label before purchasing, and consult a registered dietitian or your physician for personal guidance.