1. You photograph the back of the pack
Hold the pack flat, in good light, with the ingredients panel filling the frame. Curved plastic, glare and shadows are the usual reasons a photo can't be read.
How a label photo becomes a flag
Every step between your photo and the red, amber and neutral flags you see - plus every rule we apply.
2. The photo is turned into text
The picture is read once and typed out: the ingredients line, the product name, the FSSAI licence number and the nutrition panel. Nothing is judged at this stage - it is only copying what is printed.
3. You get to correct it
The text is shown to you before anything is decided. If a word came out wrong, fix it. If you would rather not have a photo read at all, type the label in yourself on the type-it-in page.
4. Fixed rules decide the flags
Your corrected text is matched word by word against a published list of rules. The same words always give the same flags - there is no opinion, no learning and no score.
What each flag means
Red - worth a second thought
Something on this label is on the strictest part of our list: a lot of sugar or salt, trans fat, or an ingredient you have told us you avoid. Red does not mean unsafe or banned. It means read this bit carefully before you buy it often.
Amber - fine once in a while
The label has something worth knowing about, such as palm oil or refined flour, but not at the level that earns a red. Most everyday packaged food will show a few ambers.
Neutral - just so you know
Information without a warning attached, usually a common allergen such as milk or soy. It matters only if it matters to you.
Passed - checked and nothing found
We looked for a specific thing on this label and did not find it, for example artificial colours. A pass is never an endorsement of the food as a whole.
Couldn't check - the pack didn't say
The number we needed was missing or unreadable, so we say so rather than guess. Missing information is never treated as good news.
Every rule we currently apply
See the laws behind them →0 rules, all based on published FSSAI, PFA and ICMR-NIN sources. If a word below appears on a label, that flag appears - every time, for every product.
What we never do
- • No score, grade or star rating for any food.
- • No "healthy" or "safe" verdict - only what the label says and what the rules say.
- • No guessing a number the pack did not print.
- • No brand is paid for, promoted or penalised.