Sugar
WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy (2015).
Source WHO · Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children · 2015
For Android · Reads English and Hindi labels
Inspects the label, cites the rule
Photograph the ingredients list, the nutrition table, or both. Food Marshal reads the printed words on your phone and sorts every ingredient it reads into green, yellow or red, each with a reason.
No barcode. No product database. Just the label.
01 · The pack
Every pack has a label. Food Marshal reads it.
Turn it over. It reads the ingredients list and the nutrition table.
02 · Reading
It reads the label itself.
No barcode and no product database. Food Marshal reads the printed text, so it works on local, unlisted and no-barcode packs printed in English or Hindi.
Photograph
The ingredients list, the nutrition table, or both.
Read on the phone
The printed text is read on your phone. No internet needed to read.
English and हिंदी
It reads printed English and Hindi (Devanagari).
Illustration · invented sample labels
03 · Two scripts
Two scripts. One reading.
It reads printed English and Hindi (Devanagari). The same ingredient, in either script:
- Sugarचीनी
- Rice flourचावल का आटा
Specimen Muesli Invented sample label
Specimen MuesliINGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats, Wheat Flakes, Raisins, Almonds,Sugar, Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil),Emulsifier (INS 322).
नमूना नमकीन Invented sample label, printed in Hindi
नमूना नमकीनसामग्री: बेसन, चावल का आटा, मूंगफली, आयोडीन युक्त नमक, चीनी, अम्लता नियामक (INS 330).
04 · The score
Points, out of the items it reads.
Every ingredient it reads lands in green, yellow or red. Green earns 1 point, yellow earns ½ a point, red earns 0. The score is the points out of the number of items.
- Green1 point
- Yellow½ point
- Red0 points
Specimen Muesli Invented sample label
Specimen MuesliINGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats, Wheat Flakes, Raisins, Almonds,Sugar, Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil),Emulsifier (INS 322).
Green1 point
- Rolled Oats
- Wheat Flakes
- Raisins
- Almonds
Yellow½ point
- Emulsifier (INS 322)
Red0 points
- Sugar
WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy (2015). WHO · Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children · 2015
- Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil)
ICMR-NIN advises limiting cooking oils and fats to 20–50 g a day (2024). ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Guideline 7 (p.54) · 2024
Specimen Muesli: 4.5 points out of 7 items
Illustration · invented sample label
The working, in full
4 green × 1+1 yellow × ½+2 red × 0=4.5 points out of 7 items
That is the whole sum: no weighting, and no starting score to take points from.
05 · Reasons
Nothing is red without a cited reason.
Every item comes with its reason. These are the app’s own words for the two reds on the sample label, with the sources they cite.
Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil)
ICMR-NIN advises limiting cooking oils and fats to 20–50 g a day (2024).
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Guideline 7 (p.54) · 2024
06 · Only a table?
A nutrition table alone can still get a result.
From the nutrition table alone, Food Marshal scores the rows it reads for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt (or sodium) with the UK Food Standards Agency’s traffic-light bands.
| As printed | Per 100 g | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat (g) | 18.2 | Red: Too much fat · 18.2 g per 100 g Over 17.5 g per 100 g is HIGH for the UK Food Standards Agency. UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 3.1 | Yellow: Saturated fat: medium · 3.1 g Between 1.5 g and 5 g per 100 g is MEDIUM for the UK Food Standards Agency. UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016 |
| Total Sugars (g) | 4.2 | Green: Sugar: low · 4.2 g Up to 5 g per 100 g is LOW for the UK Food Standards Agency. UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016 |
| Sodium (mg) | 400 | Yellow: Salt: medium · 1 g Between 0.3 g and 1.5 g per 100 g is MEDIUM for the UK Food Standards Agency. UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016 |
2 points out of 4 items
Illustration · invented sample label
07 · Try it
See a sample label scored.
Three invented sample labels. Food Marshal’s own engine scored them; this page plays those results back and adds up the points. No camera and no upload.
Ingredients list
Specimen Muesli
Specimen MuesliINGREDIENTS: Rolled Oats, Wheat Flakes, Raisins, Almonds,Sugar, Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil),Emulsifier (INS 322).
4.5 points out of 7 items
Illustration · invented sample label
Every red shows its reason and source. Choose any other item to see its reason.
Red 2
Sugar
Reason WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy (2015).
Source WHO · Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children · 2015
Edible Vegetable Oil (Rice Bran Oil)
Reason ICMR-NIN advises limiting cooking oils and fats to 20–50 g a day (2024).
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Guideline 7 (p.54) · 2024
Yellow 1
Emulsifier (INS 322)
Reason No benefit and no health concern found.
No source line: the app shows none for this item.
Green 4
Rolled Oats
Reason Cereal.
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
Wheat Flakes
Reason Cereal.
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
Raisins
Reason Fruit.
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
Almonds
Reason Nuts and seeds.
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
Ingredients list in Hindi
नमूना नमकीन
नमूना नमकीनसामग्री: बेसन, चावल का आटा, मूंगफली, आयोडीन युक्त नमक, चीनी, अम्लता नियामक (INS 330).
3.5 points out of 6 items
6 आइटम में से 3.5 अंक
Illustration · invented sample label
Every red shows its reason and source. Choose any other item to see its reason.
Red 2
आयोडीन युक्त नमक
Reason WHO advises adults eat less than 5 g of salt a day (2012).
WHO सलाह देता है कि वयस्क रोज़ 5 ग्राम से कम नमक खाएँ (2012)।
Source WHO · Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children · 2012
चीनी
Reason WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy (2015).
WHO सलाह देता है कि मुक्त शर्करा (फ़्री शुगर) रोज़ की ऊर्जा के 10% से कम रहे (2015)।
Source WHO · Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children · 2015
Yellow 1
अम्लता नियामक (INS 330)
Reason No benefit and no health concern found.
न कोई फ़ायदा, न कोई स्वास्थ्य चिंता मिली।
No source line: the app shows none for this item.
Green 3
बेसन
Reason Pulse.
दाल।
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
चावल का आटा
Reason Cereal.
अनाज।
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
मूंगफली
Reason Nuts and seeds.
मेवे और बीज।
Source ICMR-NIN · Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024, Table 1.1 Food Groups (p.5) · 2024
Nutrition table only
Specimen Biscuits
Specimen BiscuitsNUTRITION INFORMATIONPer 100 gEnergy (kcal) 489Total Fat (g) 18.2Saturated Fat (g) 3.1Total Sugars (g) 4.2Sodium (mg) 400
2 points out of 4 items
Illustration · invented sample label
Every red shows its reason and source. Choose any other item to see its reason.
Red 1
Too much fat · 18.2 g per 100 g
Reason Over 17.5 g per 100 g is HIGH for the UK Food Standards Agency.
Source UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016
Yellow 2
Saturated fat: medium · 3.1 g
Reason Between 1.5 g and 5 g per 100 g is MEDIUM for the UK Food Standards Agency.
Source UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016
Salt: medium · 1 g
Reason Between 0.3 g and 1.5 g per 100 g is MEDIUM for the UK Food Standards Agency.
Source UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016
Green 1
Sugar: low · 4.2 g
Reason Up to 5 g per 100 g is LOW for the UK Food Standards Agency.
Source UK FSA/DH · front-of-pack guide · 2016
An illustration built from the app’s own engine output, not a screenshot of the app.
08 · Sources
Where the reasons come from.
The reasons cite published guidance and decisions, including from these bodies. FSSAI is one source among them.
- WHO
- IARC
- JECFA
- EFSA / the EU
- US FDA
- ICMR-NIN
- FSSAI
- UK Food Standards Agency
Food Marshal is not affiliated with FSSAI.
09 · Fixed rules
Same label text. Same result. Every time.
The scoring is fixed, published rules, not AI. Reading the printed words uses text recognition on your phone; the green, yellow and red come from the rules.
Same label text · 1
Specimen Muesli
4.5 points out of 7 items
Same label text · 2
Specimen Muesli
4.5 points out of 7 items
Same label text · 3
Specimen Muesli
4.5 points out of 7 items
An illustration of the rule, using the invented Specimen Muesli label.
10 · Privacy
Your photos are read on your phone. Food Marshal does not upload your photos or your scans.
History and Trends live on the phone.
Read the Privacy Policy
11 · The app
Android first. iPhone later.
This is the real Food Marshal Home screen.
Read it. Then read the pack.
Food Marshal gives information about a label. It is not medical, nutrition or allergy advice. It can misread, so always check the pack.
Food Marshal is not affiliated with FSSAI.
12 · Questions
Things you might ask.
Do I need a barcode?
No. Food Marshal reads the label itself, with no barcode and no product database, so it works on local, unlisted and no-barcode packs printed in English or Hindi.
Which part of the pack do I photograph?
The ingredients list, the nutrition table, or both.
Does it read Hindi labels?
Yes. It reads printed English and Hindi (Devanagari).
How is the score worked out?
Every ingredient it reads is sorted into green, yellow or red. Green is 1 point, yellow is ½ a point and red is 0. The score is the points out of the number of items, shown like “4.5 points out of 7 items”.
What if the pack only has a nutrition table I can read?
It can still get a result. Food Marshal scores the rows it reads for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt (or sodium) with the UK Food Standards Agency’s traffic-light bands.
Who decides the colours?
Fixed, published rules, not AI. The same label text always gets the same result. Reading the printed text uses text recognition on your phone.
Does it need the internet?
Not to read the label. The printed text is read on your phone.
Are my photos uploaded?
Your photos are read on your phone. Food Marshal does not upload your photos or your scans. History and Trends live on the phone.
Is it medical or allergy advice?
No. It is information about a label, not medical, nutrition or allergy advice. It can misread, so always check the pack.
When can I get it?
Food Marshal is an Android app, coming soon to Google Play. iPhone later.
Turn the packet around.
Coming soon to Google Play, for Android.
Coming soon to Google Play
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