Independent · No brand pays for a score

South African products,
decoded for your family.

Search any product by name and TrustDex reads the real ingredient list, flags what's worth knowing, and gives it a plain 0–100 score — so you can decide what's right for your family without needing a nutrition degree.

See how scoring works
16,000+ distinct products scored No manufacturer ever pays for a score Built for SA shelves

16,000+ distinct products, across 20,500+ pack sizes and barcodes.

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Reading the ingredient list
 
 
Analysing…
Reading the ingredient list
How it works

Three things make TrustDex different from a nutrition label

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We read the real ingredient list

Not the marketing on the front of the box. Every score comes from the actual ingredient panel, checked against additives with published research behind them.

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Nobody can buy a better score

We're not affiliated with any manufacturer, retailer, or regulator. There's no paid placement, no sponsored listings, and no way for a brand to influence a rating.

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Scored for the person eating it

Add a profile for your toddler, your teen, or yourself. The same product can score differently depending on who's actually going to eat it.

The scoring

Every product starts at 100. Nothing is banned, we just want you to know.

A small deduction is made each time we spot an ingredient with a documented health concern. The more research behind that concern, the larger the deduction. Think of the final number less as a judgment, more as a heads-up.

100
Great choiceNo flagged ingredients. As clean as it gets.
75–99
Good choiceOnly minor ingredients noted — common preservatives, unspecified flavouring. A solid everyday pick for most people.
40–74
Enjoy occasionallyContains ingredients worth knowing about — artificial colourants, synthetic antioxidants, highly processed sugars. Fine now and then, not an everyday staple.
0–39
Best in small dosesHigher in additives. A treat is fine — this just isn't one to reach for every day, especially for young children or sensitive individuals.
Every product starts at 100 flagged ingredients found = your score, clamped to 0–100

What we look for, and how much each costs

IngredientLevelScore impact
Southampton Six artificial colours
Tartrazine, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red
High−25 pts each
Artificial sweeteners
Sodium Cyclamate, Acesulfame-K, Saccharin
High−25 pts each
Aspartame (E951)
Contains phenylalanine — flagged for PKU
High−25 pts
Synthetic antioxidants
BHA (E320), TBHQ (E319)
High−25 pts each
Peanuts
Common severe allergen
High−25 pts
Sulphur dioxide (E220) / sulphites
May trigger asthma symptoms
Moderate−12 pts
Tree nuts
Almonds, cashews, and others named directly
Moderate−12 pts
Glucose syrup
Highly processed sugar
Moderate−12 pts
MSG (E621)Moderate−12 pts
GM / GMO ingredientsModerate−12 pts
Palm oilModerate−12 pts
Unspecified flavouringLow−4 pts
General food colourantsLow−4 pts
Potassium sorbate (E202)
Common preservative, generally recognised as safe
Low−4 pts
Carrageenan (E407)
Thickener, some evidence of gut irritation
Low−4 pts
For your family

The same product can score differently for a toddler and a teenager

Add a profile and TrustDex tailors the score to who's actually eating it — this isn't about restricting your choices, it's about giving you the right context for the right person.

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0–3
Infant — extra caution on artificial additives
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4–12
Child — colours and sweeteners weighted more heavily
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13–17
Teen — sensitivities become the main layer
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18+
Adult — full control over what's flagged

Plus sensitivity profiles that re-flag matching products just for you

⚡ ADHD
🥜 Nut allergy
🥛 Dairy
🌾 Gluten
💊 PKU
🫁 Asthma
Sources & references

Nothing here is made up. Here's exactly what our severity ratings are drawn from.

McCann et al. (2007), The Southampton Study
Randomised controlled trial published in The Lancet demonstrating a significant link between six artificial food colours (the "Southampton Six") and increased hyperactivity in children. Prompted the UK FSA and EU to require warning labels. Lancet 370(9598):1560–1567.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EFSA opinions on BHA (E320), TBHQ (E319), sulphur dioxide (E220), and the Southampton Six colourants inform our severity ratings. EFSA re-evaluations, 2015 and 2023.
World Health Organization (WHO), Aspartame 2023
WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) in July 2023, reinforcing our flag for E951.
SA Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972)
Governs permissible additives in South Africa. We cross-reference permitted additives against international safety classifications to flag mismatches, where an ingredient is legal locally but restricted elsewhere.
NOVA Food Classification System
Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo. Our scoring philosophy draws on NOVA's principle that the presence of additives is a marker of ultra-processing, not just a regulatory checkbox.
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
US-based food safety advocacy organisation whose Chemical Cuisine database informs our caution ratings for glucose syrup, MSG, and carrageenan.
TrustDex scores are a research-informed guide, not a substitute for medical advice. If you or your child has a diagnosed allergy or condition, always check with a healthcare professional and read the physical label — formulations change, and no automated system replaces that check.
Pricing

One plan. No manufacturer money, ever.

TrustDex is funded entirely by the people who use it — that's what keeps every score independent. Choose monthly or annual.

Annual billing works out to R26.10/month, billed once a year. Prices in South African Rand. No brand or manufacturer money funds any part of TrustDex.

16,000+ South African products, already decoded.

Join for R29/month and search by name to check what's really in it.