Science-First
Every score is based on validated nutrition science, not trends or marketing.
What is TIRS?
TruthIn gives every packaged food a simple, science-backed rating from 0 to 5, so you can quickly understand how healthy it really is.
Unlike front-of-pack marketing claims, the TruthIn Rating System (TIRS) looks deeper evaluating a product’s nutrition profile, ingredient health impact, processing level, and presence of potentially harmful additives. It cuts through misleading claims and shows you the real health impact of what you’re eating.
Whether you're choosing snacks for your child, or comparing similar products, TruthIn rating helps you make smarter, faster decisions with confidence.
How do we rate?
The TruthIn Rating System is based on four core components,
each designed to reflect a different aspect of a packaged food’s overall health impact:
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Nutrition Profile
This is the foundation of the TruthIn Rating System and the only component most other rating systems rely on.
We go beyond that!
We assess the key nutrients relevant to the food category, both good and bad.
● Negative nutrients like sugar, sodium, and saturated fat are evaluated for their excess.
● Positive nutrients like fiber, protein, and minerals are considered where relevant.Importantly, all assessments happen within the product’s category. So a biscuit is judged against other biscuits, not a bowl of curd.
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Ingredient Health Impact
Ingredients matter just as much as nutrients, especially the ones that make up most of the product. Each ingredient is evaluated for its health impact, whether it adds value or contributes to long-term health risks.
Products made with wholesome, minimally processed ingredients tend to score better than those using refined or low-nutrition substitutes. This ensures the score reflects what the food is actually made of not just how it’s positioned on the label.
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Processing Level
The degree of industrial processing the product has gone through is assessed.
The logic is simple:
Less processing = better score.
More processing = lower score.
This includes how far the food is from its original form, whether it uses real ingredients or reconstituted, extracted, or artificial additives.03
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Penalty for Harmful Additives
The score is reduced if the product contains additives such as artificial colours, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, synthetic flavours, or ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils, which are associated with potential long-term health concerns.
Only those additives that raise red flags in global scientific literature or regulatory discussions are penalised. This ensures that occasional or functionally necessary additives aren’t unfairly penalised, the focus remains on potentially risky substances.
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Final Score and Rating
The combined score from all four components is converted into a rating, along with a clear opinion and color coding to help consumers quickly understand the overall quality of the product.
This rating reflects the overall health impact of the product, not just one nutrient or claim.
Find more detailed information on the TruthIn Rating System
Why was it created?
Packaged foods often display marketing messages that highlight only what sounds good, “no added sugar,” “rich in protein,” or “made with real fruit”, while leaving out what matters most.
TruthIn Rating System was created to give consumers a simple, trustworthy way to look beyond these claims and make smarter choices in just seconds.
Who is it created for?
The TruthIn Rating System is built for everyone who wants to make smarter packaged food choices:
Parents choosing food for
their children
Health-conscious individuals managing conditions like diabetes or obesity
Everyday shoppers confused by label jargon and conflicting claims
What are our guiding principles ?
Transparency
Ratings are explainable and grounded in clear criteria, available to all.
Consumer-Centric
Built for simplicity, without jargon. Usable in everyday choices.
Continuously Updated
Reflects changes provided by regulatory authorities, ingredient norms, and food industry shifts.
What does TIRS not do?
To ensure clarity, here’s what the TruthIn Rating System does not do:
It does not compare foods across categories
Ratings are meaningful only when compared within a category.
It does not provide personalized ratings.
Every product receives a universal rating based on its contents & RDA 2024.
It does not evaluate home-cooked or unpackaged food
TIRS is designed specifically for labelled, packaged food products.
It does not rate based on brand popularity or price
The score is about what’s inside the pack, not who sells it or how.
It does not allow brand or advertiser influence
All ratings are generated independently, without any bias.
How TruthIn Ratings help you compare?
These comparisons show how small changes in ingredients or additives can make a big difference, even within the same category.
Potato Chips
Product A uses avocado oil and has lower saturated fat, which helps it score better on both nutritional quality and ingredient choice. In contrast, Product B contains palmolein oil, contributing to higher saturated fat levels and a lower rating overall.
Yoghurts
Product A contains simple ingredients like milk and live cultures. It has high protein and no added sugar, which improves its score. Product B, on the other hand, has added sugar and multiple additives, including three artificial colours (INS 124, 122, 150a) all of which contribute to a significantly lower rating.
Brown Bread
Product A uses 100% whole wheat flour, offers higher fiber and protein, and contains no additives. Product B includes a mix of maida and whole wheat, lower fiber and protein, and several additives including colour (INS 150a) and emulsifiers and preservatives, which bring down its score
Fruit Jam
Product A is made with a high real fruit content, natural sweetener (honey), and no artificial additives, which earns it a much higher rating. In contrast, Product B contains very high added sugar, multiple artificial flavours, and an artificial colour (INS 122), all of which significantly lower its score.
Fruit Juice
Product A is made mainly with real apple juice and contains no added sugar, colours, or additives, which earns it a much higher rating. In contrast, Product B uses water as the primary ingredient, has low fruit content, high added sugar, and multiple additives including artificial colour (INS 150d), all of which significantly lower its score.
Milk Chocolate
Product A uses dates powder instead of refined sugar. It also avoids additives altogether, supporting a better score whereas product B contains significantly higher total and added sugars, along with emulsifiers and artificial flavouring agents, all of which lower its score.