Methodology

The Slop Score is an explainable label heuristic. It is not a medical-risk score and does not determine whether a food is safe for an individual person.

Stronger signals

Nutrition-panel values such as high sugar, salt or saturated fat, and ingredients such as partially hydrogenated oils, receive more weight.

Context flags

Added sugars, refined carbohydrates and some additives can be useful to notice, especially in foods eaten frequently.

Debated online

Seed oils, sweeteners and emulsifiers may be surfaced because people actively search for them. Their presence alone receives less weight and is not treated as proof of harm.

Data limitations

Barcode data can be incomplete, outdated or user-contributed. A clear photograph of the current package or pasted ingredient list can sometimes be more useful.