How we research food
Trust is the product, so here is exactly what our claims mean.
Three levels of evidence
| What we say | What it means |
|---|---|
| ◆ Independently attested | An appropriate third party attests to this specific attribute. This is rare. |
| ✓ Documented | The provider states it themselves, categorically, in currently published material. We record their exact words and the date we read them. |
| ~ Qualified | The provider says it, but hedged. This can lift a preference but never satisfies a required standard. |
| ○ Not documented | We have no current evidence. This does not mean the meal fails your standard — only that we cannot show you proof. |
We keep the hedges
The difference between what a company says and what people hear is where most food marketing lives. We store the qualifier and show it to you.
- "We prioritize grass-fed beef" is not "all our beef is grass-fed".
- "Organic produce whenever available" is not "100% organic".
- "99% organic ingredients" is not 100%, and we respect the company that says so.
- "No industrially refined seed oils" is narrower than "no seed oils".
- "Gluten friendly" is a company's own softer category. It is not gluten-free.
A few rules about food itself
- Ghee is milk-derived. It does not satisfy a dairy exclusion unless you tell us it is fine for you.
- Grass-fed is not grass-finished. We record them separately because they are different things.
- Honey, maple syrup, date syrup and coconut sugar are added sugars. We never describe a meal sweetened with them as sugar-free. "No refined sugar" is a different claim, and we keep it distinct.
- Fresh is not automatically better than frozen, and organic produce is not a nutrition claim. These are preferences about sourcing and experience, and we treat them that way.
When a meal's own ingredients contradict a company policy
The meal wins. If a company says every meal is dairy-free but one dish lists milk in its ingredients, that dish fails dairy-free. Specific evidence beats general policy, every time.
Evidence goes stale, so it expires
Menus rotate. Ingredients change — one provider tells customers outright that ingredients may change between ordering and delivery. Every record we hold carries a date and a shelf life. When it passes, the attribute reverts to not documented rather than quietly continuing to assert something that may no longer be true.
What we have not done
We have not visited any kitchen, tested any ingredient, or verified any supply chain. We read what companies publish, record it precisely, and date it. That is a real service and a limited one, and we would rather you know the difference.