Frequently asked questions
Straight answers on how FoodFact calculates, what the law says about calculated labels, and what stays your responsibility. If your question isn't here, write to us.
How is database calculation different from a lab analysis — and when is an analysis still advisable?
A laboratory measures a physical sample of your product; FoodFact calculates the declaration from your recipe using official food-composition databases, with cooking and yield adjustments applied. Calculation takes minutes, costs a fraction of a lab panel, and can be repeated every time the recipe changes. Analysis remains advisable for high-variability products — deep-fried, fermented or heavily browned foods — and wherever a rule requires analytical evidence for a specific claim. Many customers use FoodFact before an analysis, to design the recipe, and between analyses, to keep labels current.
Are calculated nutrition values legally accepted?
In our launch markets the regulations themselves recognize calculation. In the US, 21 CFR 101.9(g) judges compliance by tolerances on the finished product and expressly contemplates database-derived values; in the UK, assimilated Regulation 1169/2011 Art. 31(4) permits declarations calculated from established and accepted data; Taiwan's TFDA Q&A explicitly lists calculation as a valid way to derive label values. A recognized method is not the same as pre-approval: no authority pre-approves labels, and the finished product must still comply.
What does the legal-basis report contain?
Every issued report records the regulation version applied, the provision cited behind each ordering, rounding and tolerance decision, the food-database version and the match chosen for every ingredient, and the calculation trail from recipe to final rounded values. It is written to be handed to the buyer, auditor or inspector who asks where a number came from.
Where do the numbers come from?
Only from official food-composition databases: USDA FoodData Central for the US, Mexico, Chile and Colombia; CoFID 2021 (Open Government Licence v3.0) for the UK; and the TFDA's Taiwan Food Nutrition Database (TFND) for Taiwan. The report pins the exact database version used for your order.
Who is responsible for the final label?
The food business operator — you. FoodFact is not a regulatory advisory service and does not guarantee compliance. What it does is document the calculation and cite the legal basis behind every value, so you can meet that responsibility with evidence instead of assertion.
What does AI do in FoodFact — and what does it never do?
AI only reads and structures your input: it turns pasted text, spreadsheets or photos into an ingredient list you review. It never generates nutrition numbers. Every figure is computed from the official databases above through deterministic rules, and the report shows the full trail.
Is my recipe kept confidential?
While you build a recipe it lives only in your browser's local storage; nothing reaches our servers until you place an order. The ordered formulation snapshot is stored AES-256 encrypted and is never emailed, and once you have saved your report you can permanently delete the formulation from our servers.
Security →Which countries are covered today?
The United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Mexico, Chile and Colombia are open now. The other markets on the country grid are in research — join the waitlist and we will email you the day your market goes live.
Countries →How does pricing work?
One-time payment per report — no subscription. Each market is priced in its own currency with its own tiers, and every market offers a 10-report pack at 10% off. Exact prices are on each country's page.
Countries →What if something is wrong with my report?
Before you pay, the free preview shows the full watermarked label and the complete report structure, so you know exactly what you are buying. If a delivered report has a problem, our refund policy applies.
Refunds →How fast is the official report delivered?
The watermarked preview is instant and free. After payment, the official report goes through a short pre-delivery review and is normally released within minutes; you receive an email the moment it is ready.
What is FoodFact not for?
FoodFact covers general processed foods. Dietary supplements, alcoholic beverages and medicines are out of scope, and so are health claims (disease-risk or function claims), which follow separate authorization regimes everywhere we operate. FoodFact is also not regulatory advice: it documents the basis of your label, and the final labeling decision rests with the food business operator.
These answers are general information, not regulatory advice. The final labeling decision rests with the food business operator. Questions: support@foodfact.co