The WISEcode Standard at a Glance: A One-Page Consumer Summary

A plain-language overview of the WISEcode Standard v1.0 (Feb 13, 2026).

What is the WISEcode Standard?

The WISEcode Standard is a public specification that defines what "ultra-processed" actually means at the ingredient level. It establishes the methodology behind WISEcode UPF™ (Wc-UPF), the score you see in the WISEcode App and on Non-UPF Verified™ packaging.

Why was it created?

The Foreword of the Standard notes that today there is no single U.S. or globally accepted definition of ultra-processed food, leaving the American consumer "navigating a marketplace without a compass." Federal agencies including HHS, FDA, and USDA have recently moved toward a national standard, but no unified definition yet exists. The Standard was created to fill that gap with a practical, ingredient-level tool for everyday shopping.

What's wrong with simply using NOVA?

NOVA was the first major system to define UPF, but the Standard's Foreword argues that in the United States — where roughly 80% of food is packaged — applying NOVA strictly "breaks the grocery store" by treating simple crackers and complex chemical formulations as equally problematic. NOVA tells you whether a food is industrially processed; the WISEcode Standard asks what it's actually made of.

How does it work, in one paragraph?

Per Section 1.2, every ingredient is evaluated individually and assigned a processing weight of 0, 1, 2, or 3 based on degree of processing and potential health concern. The base score is the sum of those weights. A sugar penalty is added based on the percentage of calories from added sugar, and a separate +16 "Super-Ultra" penalty is applied when any Level 4 / Unique Ingredient of Concern (UIC) is present. The total becomes the Wc-UPF score.

The five tiers at a glance

Per Section 2.1 of the Standard:

Minimal — Score 0–3
Light — Score 4–6
Moderate — Score 7–10
Ultra — Score 11–15
Super-Ultra — Score >15, or any Unique Ingredient of Concern present

How is the Standard maintained?

Section 9 establishes the Standard as a "living document." A 25-scientist Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) convenes annually to review new safety and health data, and every classification change is recorded in a public Change Log with citations.

Where can I read the full Standard?

The complete specification (v1.0) is available as a public PDF on wisecode.ai.