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 it works
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. Fixed rules decide the flags
The text is matched word by word against a published list of rules, on our server. The same words always give the same flags - there is no opinion, no learning and no score.
4. You see exactly what was read
The result shows the reading beside the flags, field by field, so you can check it against the pack in your hand. A field we could not read says so. If a line came out wrong, photograph it again or type the label in yourself.
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.
Nothing to flag - we checked and found nothing
We looked for a specific thing on this label and did not find it, for example artificial colours. Finding nothing 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 them12 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.
- Amber
artificial colour
Artificial colour present and its declaration
- Amber
artificial color
Artificial colour present and its declaration
- Red
cashew
Cashew, a tree nut and declarable allergen
- Red
kaju
Cashew, a tree nut and declarable allergen
- Red
groundnut
Groundnut, a declarable allergen
- Red
peanut
Groundnut, a declarable allergen
- Red
moongphali
Groundnut, a declarable allergen
- Amber
INS 102
INS 102 tartrazine, a synthetic colour
- Amber
tartrazine
INS 102 tartrazine, a synthetic colour
- Amber
INS 211
INS 211 sodium benzoate, a preservative
- Amber
sodium benzoate
INS 211 sodium benzoate, a preservative
- Amber
INS 635
INS 635 disodium ribonucleotides, a flavour enhancer
- Amber
disodium ribonucleotide
INS 635 disodium ribonucleotides, a flavour enhancer
- Neutral
invert syrup
Invert syrup, counting toward declared total sugars
- Neutral
invert sugar syrup
Invert syrup, counting toward declared total sugars
- Red
maida
Refined wheat flour; wheat is a declarable allergen
- Red
refined wheat flour
Refined wheat flour; wheat is a declarable allergen
- Red
milk
Milk, a declarable allergen
- Red
milk solids
Milk, a declarable allergen
- Red
skimmed milk powder
Milk, a declarable allergen
- Neutral
palm oil
Palm oil present in the ingredient list
- Neutral
palm fat
Palm oil present in the ingredient list
- Neutral
vegetable oil (palm)
Palm oil present in the ingredient list
- Neutral
palmolein
Palmolein - palm oil under another name
- Neutral
palm olein
Palmolein - palm oil under another name
- Red
wheat
Wheat, a declarable allergen and the source of gluten
- Red
atta
Wheat, a declarable allergen and the source of gluten
- Red
gehu
Wheat, a declarable allergen and the source of gluten
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.