By Danny Webb, SVP at WISEcode

We’ve all heard the same, general advice: avoid ultra-processed food.

It’s everywhere. Podcasts. Blogs. Doctors. Influencers. The message is loud and clear; if you want to eat healthy, step one is cutting out the ultra-processed stuff.

Sounds great. Until you actually try to do it.

You get to the store. You pick up a box of granola bars. You flip it over, read the ingredients, and start squinting. Is it ultra-processed? Maybe. Maybe not. There’s no label. No flag. No warning. You’re left guessing.

And that’s the problem.

The Label That’s Missing

There’s a label for organic. There’s a label for gluten-free. There’s even a label for “heart healthy.”

But there’s nothing that says “ultra-processed.”

Which is kind of crazy, considering how often we’re told to avoid it. If it’s as bad as everyone says, why is it so hard to identify?

That’s exactly what we’re fixing at WISEcode.

Because this isn’t just a science problem. It’s a real-life problem. And we’re solving it in two big ways.

Problem #1: People Need a Way to See It

First, we’re giving people a free tool.

A simple mobile app that is easy to use in your grocery store.

With it, you scan a product. You get a clear answer.

You see whether it’s ultra-processed or not - and more importantly, how it impacts your body.

It’s like the label that should’ve been on the box all along. Except now it’s in your pocket.

No second-guessing. No ingredient rabbit holes. No marketing fluff. Just real data, translated into a clear score that helps you answer the only question that matters:

What I Should Eat. 

Problem #2: Nobody Agrees on the Definition of UPF

Here’s the second issue. Even experts can’t agree on what “ultra-processed” actually means.

Some base it on additives. 

Some on how far the food is from its original form. 

Others on whether the product could be made in a home kitchen.

We take a different approach; build it around the only thing that doesn’t falter: the ingredients and nutrition.

Our tech breaks down every food into its full ingredient list, along with nutrition and outcomes data. No shortcuts. No summaries. From there, scientists and data teams can build new CodesTM - models that score how processed something really is, based on what’s actually inside.

And here’s the cool part. We’re creating a global challenge where we’re giving scientists, scholars, food influencers, and innovators everywhere access to our data and technology so they can define what a UPF is, and what is not. We’re putting the top five definitions in the app (with sizable cash prizes), and you, the consumer, get to pick which one you trust.

You’ll be able to scan a product and see how it ranks under multiple ultra-processed definitions. You’ll compare them. Understand them. Vote for the one that makes the most sense to you.

And the winning model? It becomes the foundation for a new, free-to-use “UPF App”, chosen by real people, using real data, with real transparency.

Food Truth, On Your Terms

WISEcode is building what every shopper needs but no label provides; a way to see how processed a food really is, and definitions that reflect what you care about, not what the industry wants you to believe.

It’s a way to see through the packaging, define your own standards, and make more informed decisions. One scan at a time.