The ORO Score · methodology

How the ORO Score works: no black box.

Point ORO at any packaged food or drink and it grades it from 1 to 10. That number isn't a vibe or a secret algorithm: it's a fixed, rule-based rubric we publish in full. Same product, same score, every time. Here's exactly how it's calculated.

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Why we publish this

A score you can't inspect is just someone's opinion.

Most food-grading apps hand you a number and ask you to trust it. We think that's backwards. The whole value of a grade is that you can check the reasoning, so we made the reasoning the product.

The ORO Score is deterministic: a documented set of rules runs the same way for every product, so it's auditable, consistent, and honest. The AI never "decides" a grade. It only reads the label. Everything below is the actual logic behind the number.

Illustrative readout. Every scan returns the grade plus these plain-language lists.

The scale

One number, five honest tiers.

Every grade lands in one of five tiers, each with a plain-English verdict. The top of the scale is reserved. You have to earn gold.

9–10/ 10
ORO Gold 🥇
"A gold-standard pick." Minimally processed, strong macros, a clean label.
7–8/ 10
Great
"A solid, clean choice." A dependable everyday product.
5–6/ 10
Okay
"Okay in moderation." Fine sometimes; not a staple.
3–4/ 10
Poor
"Better options exist." The label tells you why, and what to look for instead.
1–2/ 10
Avoid
"Best kept occasional." High-concern ingredients or empty calories.
The rubric

Three layers, one grade.

The score combines three independent reads on a product, graded on their own and then blended. What it is made of carries the most weight, then nutrition, then processing. AI only reads the label; the grade itself comes from ORO's rules engine, it is about the product alone, and your goals never change it. When a better-scoring product of the same type is known, ORO shows it.

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A · Nutrient quality

A nutrient profile built per 100g (or per 100ml for drinks), adapted from the public Nutri-Score model and re-weighted for a physique-focused audience.

  • Counts against: calorie density, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, with added sugar punished hardest.
  • Counts for: protein, fiber, and real fruit / vegetable / legume / nut content.
  • Our tweak: protein always earns credit. Standard Nutri-Score stops counting protein for unhealthy foods; we don't, because protein density is what our users care about.
  • Drinks are stricter: a sugary or artificially-sweetened beverage takes an extra hit, following the 2023 beverage rule. An artificially-sweetened drink never earns the "low in sugar" credit, because the sweetness did not come from having less sugar.
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B · Ingredient & processing intelligence

The ingredient list is checked against a curated dictionary of concerns. Each with a hedged, source-backed reason and a severity level.

  • Flags cover things like refined seed oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and sweeteners, certain preservatives, and industrial additives.
  • High-concern ingredients hard-cap the grade: e.g. a partially-hydrogenated (trans-fat) oil caps the score near the bottom, no matter how good the macros look.
  • Processing is graded NOVA-style: the more ultra-processing markers (isolates, novel fibers, long additive lists, added flavors), the lower the ceiling.
  • Bonuses for certified organic and for a genuinely short, clean ingredient list.
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C · Caps

After the weighted score, ceilings keep certain products honest: any sweetener caps the score at 6, artificial sweeteners at 5, an artificially sweetened drink with no protein or fiber at 3, and sugary drinks and candy-like foods at 2. The score is about the product only. Your goals and your day never change it.

How the layers blend into one number

Every product uses the same mix: ingredients first, nutrition close behind, processing last.

Nutrition uses the 2023 Nutri-Score point tables with one change: protein always counts. Processing follows NOVA-style ultra-processing markers.

The guardrails

Why a "clean label" alone can't buy a top grade

Nutrient floor

Bad macros can't hide

If the underlying nutrition is genuinely poor, the score is capped low: even behind a short, natural-looking ingredient list. A fitness app that graded a sugar bomb highly would be lying to you.

Processing ceiling

Top scores are reserved

The more ultra-processing markers a product carries, the lower its ceiling. The 9–10 tier is held back for minimally-processed foods: that's what makes ORO Gold mean something.

Sweetener ceiling

Sugar-free is not a free pass

Any sweetener or sugar alcohol caps a product at 6, and artificial sweeteners at 5. An artificially sweetened drink with no protein or fiber caps at 3, and a sugary drink with nothing else in it at 2. Candy-like foods (40 g or more of sugar per 100 g, little fiber or protein) also cap at 2. Zero calories is not the same as nourishing.

Confidence cap

We don't over-claim

If the scan is missing the ingredient list or the nutrition facts, the grade caps at 6 and is clearly marked as lower-confidence, so you know when we are less sure.

The rubric draws on public, citable sources: the 2023 Nutri-Score update (Santé publique France), the NOVA ultra-processing framework, EFSA and IARC positions on additives, the FDA decisions on BVO and Red No. 3, and the WHO 2023 guideline on non-sugar sweeteners. Every ingredient note is deliberately hedged: it describes a concern, never makes an absolute health claim.

Never just a number

Every grade tells you what to look for instead.

A grade with no explanation just makes you feel bad. So the ORO Score never travels alone. Each scan spells out exactly what's working and what's dragging the number down, in plain language.

  • A "Good" list and a "Watch" list: the precise wins ("good protein, clean list") and the precise drawbacks ("high sugar, contains high-fructose corn syrup").
  • A verdict that points forward: a "Poor" grade literally reads "Better options exist," so you know to reach for something with more protein and a shorter label.
  • It flows into your day: because a scan logs straight into your diary, ORO's next-meal coach can suggest real foods to hit the protein or fiber you still have left.

Illustrative. "Look for instead" reflects the drawbacks the scan surfaced.

Honest about the limits

Guidance, not a verdict on your health.

The ORO Score is a tool to help you compare packaged products and shop with more awareness. It is not medical or nutritional advice and isn't a substitute for a qualified professional. A "1" doesn't mean a food is dangerous, and a "10" doesn't mean unlimited: context, portion, and your own goals always matter more than any single number.

Because a scan reads a label with AI, the extracted numbers are estimates, and the ingredient notes describe possible concerns drawn from public research, not settled conclusions or claims about a specific brand. We publish this method openly, refine the rubric over time, and re-grade old products when it changes. If something looks off, trust the label and your own judgment.

See our Terms and Privacy Policy for the full health disclaimer.

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