TryVit Score
TL;DR
The TryVit Score (1–100) is our primary composite metric. Higher is better. It penalizes 9 factors (saturated fat, sugars, salt, calories, trans fat, additives, preparation method, controversies, ingredient concern) and rewards protein & fibre content with a nutrient density bonus.
What is the TryVit Score?
The TryVit Score answers a simple question: how well does this product perform nutritionally? The scale runs from 1 (very high concern) to 100 (excellent). A score of 70 means the product is better than one scoring 30. We combine nine evidence-based penalty factors and a nutrient density bonus into a single number so you can compare products at a glance.
The 9 penalty factors
Saturated fat (weight: 17%) — ceiling: 10g per 100g. Based on EFSA daily reference values.
Sugars (weight: 17%) — ceiling: 27g per 100g. Based on WHO guideline for free sugars.
Salt (weight: 17%) — ceiling: 3g per 100g. Based on WHO 2023 sodium guideline.
Calories (weight: 10%) — ceiling: 600 kcal per 100g. Energy density indicator.
Trans fat (weight: 11%) — ceiling: 2g per 100g. EU regulation; WHO says no safe level.
Additives count (weight: 7%) — ceiling: 10 additives. Based on NOVA ultra-processing research.
Preparation method (weight: 8%) — deep-fried scores highest due to acrylamide/PAH/HCA formation.
Controversies (weight: 8%) — captures product-level issues like palm oil or banned substances.
Ingredient concern (weight: 5%) — based on EFSA additive risk tiers (concern levels 0–3).
Nutrient density bonus
Protein & fibre bonus (weight: −8%) — products with higher protein and fibre content receive a score boost, rewarding nutritional value beyond penalizing harmful components.
Score bands
80–100: Excellent — plain oats, raw vegetables
60–79: Good — whole-grain bread, basic yogurt
40–59: Moderate — baked chips, sweetened cereal
20–39: Poor — fried chips, sugary drinks
1–19: Bad — deep-fried + high-salt + additives
How it's calculated
Each penalty factor is normalized to 0–100 (using scientifically-justified ceilings), multiplied by its weight, and summed. A nutrient density bonus (up to 8 points) is then subtracted for products rich in protein and fibre. The result is clamped to 1–100. When data is missing, that factor defaults to 0 and the data completeness score is reduced.
Why not just use Nutri-Score?
Nutri-Score ignores processing degree, food additives, preparation methods, and controversies. Our TryVit Score fills those gaps by incorporating all nine penalty factors and a nutrient density bonus into a single number backed by WHO, EFSA, and EU regulatory thresholds.