What the flags mean
Laddoo does not score food. It reads the label, checks it against published rules, and shows what it found in three levels.
Red
Something here is worth a closer look.
A red flag means a published regulation was broken. Today one thing does that: an allergen named in the ingredients that the pack’s own allergen declaration does not name. Two more are written and waiting for a pack to fire them - an additive not permitted in that category, and a front-of-pack claim the ingredients contradict. Each cites a clause, and the rule page shows it. Dietary guidance never turns a flag red: a guideline finding is a fact we report and leave neutral. Red also appears when the pack contains something on your own avoid list, which is your choice rather than anybody’s rule.
Red does not mean unsafe or banned. It means: read this bit before you buy.
Amber
Fine now and then, not every day.
Amber is for what a published rule treats as worth knowing rather than worth stopping for - additives that are perfectly legal but that many people like to know about, such as preservatives or flavour enhancers.
Amber is context, not a warning.
Neutral
Noted, nothing to flag.
Neutral entries are facts we surface so you are not guessing - an ingredient we recognise that no rule flags, and anything dietary guidance has something to say about, which is advice rather than law and never a breach.
Laddoo never marks a food as good or healthy, so you will never see a green badge here.
What a check can say
Alongside the flags, every product page lists simple checks with a clear result.
Needs attention
The label does not meet that check - palm oil is listed, a synthetic colour is listed, or a figure sits above the mark we tint that row with. Those marks are our own reading aid, not published thresholds.
Couldn't check
The number we needed was missing or unreadable, so we say so rather than guess. Missing information is never treated as good news.
Nothing to flag
The label meets the rule we checked - an FSSAI licence is printed, no palm oil is listed, or a nutrient sits in the low band.
Where the numbers come from: FSSAI labelling regulations for what a pack must print, and ICMR-NIN dietary guidance, which is advice for a whole day rather than a figure per 100 g. The high and low marks beside a nutrition figure are our own reading aid: the sugar marks are the UK Food Standards Agency’s voluntary front-of-pack boundaries, which are not Indian and not statutory, and no rule we apply compares a nutrition figure to a number. Always trust the printed pack over any app, and speak to a professional for medical advice.