Why We Built the InSpoon Score
We created the InSpoon Score to improve upon NutriScore, which many countries use to help people choose healthier food. While NutriScore is helpful, it has a key limitation: it always scores food based on 100g or 100ml, regardless of how much people actually eat. This can lead to misleading results—especially when a typical serving is much smaller or larger.
InSpoon Score, by contrast, evaluates nutrition based on actual serving sizes, aligning with FDA-defined Daily Values and nutrient thresholds. This means our score reflects how much of a nutrient someone is likely to consume in one sitting—not in an arbitrary 100g quantity. This makes the score more practical and meaningful for everyday decisions.
It’s important to know that the InSpoon Score only evaluates nutrients. It does NOT include ingredients or additives in its calculation. We believe this makes the scoring more objective and directly tied to nutritional impact.
Yes, basing scores on serving size can allow room for manipulation by manufacturers, but we believe the trade-off is worth it. Using FDA guidelines as our foundation allows us to deliver realistic, science-backed guidance that better supports healthier choices in the real world.
How Scoring Works
Each product starts with a maximum score of 4. Every unfavorable nutrient present in high amounts will lower the score, while every favorable nutrient in beneficial amounts will increase it. This system ensures that harmful content is penalized and nutritional value is rewarded.
Remember, the InSpoon Score does not consider ingredients, additives, or food processing methods. The calculation is solely based on the levels of specific nutrients in a serving.
Unfavorable Nutrient Thresholds
| Energy, kcal | Saturated fat, g | Added Sugar, g | Sodium, g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200.0 – 2000.0 | 12.0 – 20.0 | 30.0 – 50.0 | 1380.0 – 2300.0 |
| 400.0 – 1200.0 | 4.0 – 12.0 | 10.0 – 30.0 | 460.0 – 1380.0 |
| 100.0 – 400.0 | 1.0 – 4.0 | 2.5 – 10.0 | 115.0 – 460.0 |
| 0.0 – 100.0 | 0.5 – 1.0 | 0.5 – 2.5 | 5.0 – 115.0 |
Favorable Nutrient Thresholds
| Proteins, g | Fibre, g |
|---|---|
| 0.1 – 2.5 | 0.1 – 1.4 |
| 2.5 – 5 | 1.4 – 2.8 |
| 5 – 50 | 2.8 – 28.0 |
Other Nutrients
Total Sugars
FDA defines Total Sugars as the sum of natural and added sugars. No daily limit is set for natural sugars and therefore for total sugars since no specific health risk is identified. That’s why total sugars do not contribute to the product score and have no thresholds. The Total Sugars bar is purely informational and reflects how much total sugars is in a serving. Below is an example of how Total Sugars bar may look like for a product. The grey part represents the whole serving, and the blue part shows how much of that serving is total sugars:
Final Score Rating
| Description | Grade | Score Range | Visual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGHEST VALUE | A+ | 4+ |  |
| HIGH VALUE | A | 3 – 4 |  |
| MODERATE VALUE | B | 2 – 3 |  |
| LOW VALUE | C | 1 – 2 |  |
| POOR VALUE | D | 0 – 1 |  |
Get the App
Download InSpoon on the App Store: