How We Rate

How the rating system works

Greenwashing and cleanwashing (companies claiming to be a “healthy” brand when their ingredients aren’t clean) run amuck in the food industry. Is It Clean’s ratings allow you, the consumer, to see through these claims and make educated decisions by gathering the world’s most reliable public sources, every product’s ingredients, and public information available from the brands so you can trust we have the right information. We then use a simple 5 point rating for how clean the food is. 

Every company today has a responsibility to be a net positive. That means they are good for  the planet and all living things on the planet.

Why should a company strive to be a net positive for society?

A healthier humanity

  • Diet and nutrition is directly linked to cancers, obesity, chronic diseases, Alzheimer’s and many other of the leading causes of death around the world. Poor diet and nutrition can also lead to cognitive decline, low energy, weak immune systems, anxiety, and depression. More information is coming out regarding plastic’s effects on decreased fertility, sperm counts, and increased cancer rates. The way we eat (and package our food) quite literally decides the quality and quantity of our life.
  • When companies take the stand to use only clean ingredients, the impact is exponential. Clean eating is the foundation of a healthy, happy life. Right now in countries like the U.S. clean eating is the exception, not the rule, and that is because businesses (and regulators) have prioritized profits over the health of the people. It’s going to take ethical businesses making food with clean ingredients to move us out of the health crisis and into a reality in which everyone can live a long, healthy, happy life.

A more sustainable planet

  • Our food systems are one of the biggest causes of climate change. Right now, to make our food we destroy our forests, use unrecyclable, single use plastics, and burn fossil fuels. How we make our food is literally destroying our ecosystem.
  • When a company chooses to use sustainable packaging, offset their carbon emissions, and source locally - they are combating climate change and creating a future that is more sustainable and in sync with the natural rhythm of our planet. It is more important than ever to make ethical, sustainable decisions regarding supply chain, packaging, and production.
  • When consumers choose to buy from companies that are taking these steps, it sends a message to the industry that sustainability is the new standard. We vote with every purchase we make. We vote on what is acceptable and what isn’t.

A more equitable, ethical society

  • When a company does good by its employees, its vendors, and everyone they interact with, it sends a ripple of impact through the society. Business can be a force for good.
  • But today, in our society, we are seeing more and more the harmful effects of unethical, greedy, business. Many businesses today exploit their people, the ecosystem, and the communities they’re supposed to serve in order for a few individuals (usually the founders and the investors) to get rich. The days of business tycoons getting rich off the backs of others, we believe, is coming to an end. If a business was created just to make people rich, that’s not an ethical business.
  • But when a business is used as a vehicle for good by giving back a portion of its profits to the community, giving its employees a fair and equitable wage, and treating all people in their supply chain ethically, the business becomes a force for global good. When businesses act ethically, it creates more equal opportunities for people around the world, allowing for more access to critical needs such as healthcare, healthy foods, and education. Once again this is where our vote as consumers matters. When we choose not to buy from the greedy, exploitative companies, we send a message that those business practices are no longer acceptable.
  • We can create an ethical, equitable future for all by choosing carefully which companies we purchase from. Every day, with our purchases, we can take steps towards that future.

How we rate food brands

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. It’s that simple. But we can’t rely on labels of certified organic and non gmo alone. It’s not that black and white. That is why Is It Clean brings all this information into one place to see the risks and benefits of what you consume.

We rate each food on a 5 “ ” rating.

The components we analyze for our ratings are:

  1. Health promoting ingredients: Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. Are the ingredients in the food health promoting? 
  2. Organic: Is the food certified organic? Were they certified by a reputable certifier?
  3. Non-GMO: Does the food contain GMOs? If so, are those GMOs proven to be health promoting with no adverse effects?
  4. Additives: Does it contain additives, if it has additives – are they harmful?
  5. Added Sugars: Does it contain added sugars, if it has added sugars – what kind?
  6. Toxicity of ingredients: Are the ingredients potentially toxic to consumers? For example, does the company test its bone broth or canned tuna for heavy metals? Some companies are transparent about this and some are not.
  7. Plasticity: Does the food come in plastic? Does it come in another harmful packaging?

What we define “Clean” as

We can’t rely on labels of certified organic and non gmo alone. That’s why Is It Clean brings all this information into one place to see the risks and benefits of what you consume. We define clean as any food that is made up of organic, health promoting ingredients. A “clean” food has no additives, GMOs, fillers, chemicals, or processed added sugars. The food is also packaged in a container that is known to be safe for humans. For example: Plastic containers have been linked to decreased fertility, low sperm counts, and cancer rate increases, while cardboard and glass packaging is safer with less side effects. This is a high standard, and we believe it is the standard to hold food companies to. Everyone deserves to have access to healthy, nourishing foods.

Clean

The ingredients are certified organic from a credible certifier. There are no additives, added sugars, fillers, GMOs, or chemicals. All the ingredients are real whole foods and health promoting. The food is not packaged in plastic or other harmful packaging.

Good

There are no GMO’s (Non GMO certified), fillers, chemicals, or potentially harmful additives (Sunflower Lecithin would be okay). The food may have added sugars like brown rice syrup or Agave syrup, but no high fructose corn syrup or other highly harmful added sugars. The food is not packaged in plastic or other harmful materials.

Average

The food may have additives like gums or oils that are or are not naturally occurring in food but do not have any data showing it has a harmful effect on the body in the amount in foods (Ex. Gellan gum, Guar Gum). It may have added sugars. It may have natural flavors. The food may be packaged in plastic.

Not Clean

The food has harmful additives, has GMO’s, has fillers, and or may have added sugars of any kind. The food may be packaged in plastic or other harmful materials.

Avoid

The food has many harmful additives, known cancer-causing ingredients, has harmful food colorings, GMOs, gums, oils, and is overall really harmful to digest. (Ex.Soda, the lowest junk food like Hostess, or candies that have dyes like Red 40).

How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

  • It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
  • It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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