Methodology

How we score

Every Tallow score is a single number from 0 to 100. It is not a vibe and it is not a black box: a product starts at 100 and earns specific, published deductions for what is actually in it and how it is made. The same math runs on every product, so two people who scan the same item always see the same score — and you can audit every line of it in the app on the “Why this score” breakdown.

The deductions

Starting score100

Every product begins at a perfect 100. Deductions come off from there.

NOVA 4 — ultra-processed−10

Industrial formulations built from additives, isolates, and ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen.

NOVA 3 — processed−5

Processed culinary products — not whole foods, but not ultra-processed either.

Each harmful ingredient−5 each

Per ingredient flagged harmful in our curated list or by Tier-2 research, weighted by position — the higher up the ingredient list, the bigger the hit.

Contaminant over the limit−10 × multiple, capped at −30

A contaminant at 2× its regulatory limit is −20; 40× is capped at −30 per contaminant.

Microplastics−5 likely · −10 confirmed

Likely from packaging (PET bottles, flexible plastic bags, plastic tubs), or confirmed by a cited measurement.

PFAS−8 likely · −15 confirmed

Likely from treated packaging (microwave popcorn bags, fast-food fiber containers), or confirmed by a cited source. PFAS bioaccumulates, so a confirmed result stings more.

Floor0

The final score is clamped to the 0–100 range.

Score bands

Avoid

0–49

Watch

50–74

Safe

75–100

What is NOVA?

NOVA is a food-classification system from researchers at the University of São Paulo, widely used in nutrition science. It groups foods by how much industrial processing they have been through — which is why it carries weight in the score.

NOVA 1UnprocessedWhole foods — fresh fruit, eggs, plain milk, raw meat.
NOVA 2Culinary ingredientsPressed, ground, or refined from NOVA 1 — olive oil, butter, salt.
NOVA 3ProcessedNOVA 1 or 2 combined and preserved — canned beans, fresh bread, simple cheese.
NOVA 4Ultra-processedIndustrial formulations with additives and isolates — soda, packaged snacks, most cereals.

Kid-Safe Mode

Turn on Kid-Safe Mode and the score gets stricter for food you are buying for children: harmful-ingredient and contaminant penalties roughly double, and any product without an independent lab citation loses 10 extra points and shows a warning badge.

Restaurants

The restaurant map applies the same lens to places to eat — seed oils, additives, plastic exposure, and processing. Restaurant scores are built from community ratings, weighted by how confident each rater is, and a place is never shown with a public score until enough people have rated it.

No black boxes, no paid placements. We will never accept payment from the brands or restaurants we rate.