Guides
Food label guides
Plain-language guides to reading food labels: how the Nutri-Score works, what ultra-processed (NOVA) really means, how EU additives are approved and banned, and which 14 allergens must be declared.
- Food scanning8 min
Food scanner apps: what a barcode scan can tell you — and what it cannot
How food scanner apps use barcodes to explain nutrition, ingredients, allergens, environmental impact, prices and recalls — and where the data can fail.
Read article → - Meal scanning8 min
AI calorie counters: how photo meal estimates work and how accurate they are
How AI calorie counter apps estimate foods and portions from a photo, why results vary, and how to improve an estimate without mistaking it for a measurement.
Read article → - Environment9 min
Food environmental impact: how product estimates are calculated and compared
How food lifecycle estimates compare climate, land, water, processing, packaging and transport — and how Forkin uses Agribalyse without false precision.
Read article → - Food safety7 min
Food recall alerts: how to check a product and what to do after a match
How food recall alerts work, why barcode matching is imperfect, which product details to verify, and what to do when a notice matches.
Read article → - Labels9 min
How to read a food label: the EU nutrition table, ingredient list and reference intakes explained
What every part of an EU food label actually means — the mandatory nutrition declaration, the 'per 100 g vs per portion' trap, % reference intakes, how the ingredient list is ordered, QUID percentages, and where additives and allergens appear.
Read article → - Labels9 min
Food label claims decoded: what 'low fat', 'no added sugar', 'high fibre' and 'natural' legally mean
Which words on a food pack are legally defined and which are pure marketing. The EU thresholds behind 'low fat', 'no added sugar', 'high in fibre', 'source of protein', 'light' and 'reduced', why health claims must be EFSA-authorised, and why 'natural', 'clean' and 'wholesome' mostly mean nothing.
Read article → - Scores8 min
How to read a Nutri-Score: the 2023 algorithm explained
What the A–E Nutri-Score letters actually measure, what changed in the 2023 update, what the score deliberately ignores, and how Forkin builds a separate Forkin Score from the public base plus disclosed processing and additive concern adjustments.
Read article → - Scores8 min
NOVA groups explained: what “ultra-processed” actually means
The NOVA classification sorts food by industrial processing, not nutrients. What the four groups mean, how to recognise group 4 on a label, where the system is criticised, and how Forkin estimates NOVA from ingredient lists.
Read article → - Additives9 min
E-numbers explained: how EU food additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned
What an E-number actually certifies, how EFSA sets acceptable daily intakes, why approved additives still get re-examined or banned (like E171 in 2022), and how to read additive concern levels without panic or complacency.
Read article → - Allergens8 min
The 14 EU allergens: what must be declared on labels — and what doesn't have to be
EU law requires 14 allergens to be emphasised in every ingredient list. The full list, the loopholes ('may contain' is voluntary), the hidden-source traps like casein and lupin flour, and how to use allergen data safely.
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Guides · Methodology