Reading Your Product UPF Report and Portfolio UPF Report

WISEcode’s UPF reports tell you whether a product (or your full portfolio) classifies as ultra-processed — and exactly which ingredients drive the result. This article walks through how to read both reports.

What a UPF Report shows

UPF stands for Ultra-Processed Food. WISEcode’s UPF classification uses ingredient-level signals to determine whether a product meets the criteria for one of three Non-UPF processing tiers:

• Minimal — whole or minimally processed
• Light — modestly processed, no Unique Ingredients of Concern
• Moderate — some processed ingredients but below the UPF threshold

Any product not classified in one of those three tiers is considered Ultra-Processed.

Each UPF Report shows:

• The product’s classification tier (or UPF status)
• Which Unique Ingredients of Concern were detected, if any
• An ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown showing which contributed to the result
• A plain-language explanation of why

Product UPF Report (single product)

The product report covers one product. Use it to:

• Confirm whether a specific product qualifies for Non-UPF Shield Verification
• Identify which ingredient is keeping a product out of compliance
• Generate a clean explanation you can share with R&D or formulators

The most actionable section is the ingredient drivers table — it lists every ingredient and flags the ones that contributed to a UPF classification. If you reformulate, this tells you exactly which ingredient to swap.

Portfolio UPF Report (rollup)

The portfolio report aggregates your entire claimed portfolio. Use it to:

• See what share of your portfolio classifies as Non-UPF
• Identify which ingredients touch the most products in your catalog (highest leverage to fix)
• Track UPF status over time as you reformulate, claim new products, or update data

The most useful section is the ingredient leverage list — it ranks ingredients by how many of your products they appear in. Reformulating away from a single high-leverage ingredient can shift your whole portfolio’s UPF status.

How to read the reports

1. Start with the headline classification. Is the product Non-UPF or UPF? Is your portfolio mostly Non-UPF or mostly UPF?
2. Look at the ingredient drivers. Even if a product is Non-UPF, scan for any “watch” ingredients that could trigger a reclassification if formulas change
3. Cross-reference the Ingredient Quality Report if you have access. UPF is one classification. Ingredient Quality digs deeper into clean label, banned ingredients, seed oils, and more. (This report is in Studio and requires separate approval.)
4. Identify your reformulation candidates. Products one ingredient away from Non-UPF are the highest-value fixes

What to do with the report

• Reformulate — swap the offending ingredient and re-validate via the data ingestion chat
• Re-strategize — accept the classification and shift marketing to other product strengths
• Earn the Non-UPF Verified Shield on qualifying products (see “From Portfolio to Shield”)
• Benchmark — use Brand-vs-Brand UPF Comparison to see how you stack up against competitors

Common questions

Why is my product classified UPF when I think it shouldn’t be? The two most common reasons: an ingredient is on WISEcode’s Unique Ingredients of Concern list (e.g., a synthetic emulsifier, an artificial color, a banned additive), or the ingredient list has not been updated since reformulation. Check the ingredient drivers table — it tells you exactly which ingredient triggered the flag.

How often does the report refresh? Immediately when you update your ingredient list via the data ingestion chat. Otherwise, on a regular cadence as WISEcode updates its underlying database.

Can I export the report for my team? Yes. The export button on any report generates a branded PDF you can share internally or with partners.

What’s the difference between “Moderate” and “UPF”? Moderate-tier products contain some processed ingredients but stay below the UPF threshold and do not contain any Unique Ingredients of Concern. UPF products either exceed the processing threshold or contain at least one Unique Ingredient of Concern.

Does Non-UPF mean my product is healthy? Non-UPF means the product is not ultra-processed. That’s distinct from “healthy” overall — Non-UPF products can still be high in sodium, sugar, or other nutrients you may want to manage. For broader nutritional context, see the Studio reports (Health Outcomes, Nutrient Quality).

Next steps

• Understanding the WISEcode Ingredient Quality Report — the deeper ingredient-level view (Studio, approval required)
• From Portfolio to Shield — qualifying a product for Non-UPF Shield Verification
• Running a Brand-vs-Brand UPF Comparison — competitive benchmarking

Need help?

For toolkit access, asset specifications, or shield usage questions, submit a request and a member of the WISEcode team will get back to you.