Fat quality score

How we evaluate the type of fat in a food, not just the amount.

Reference

WHO Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (2003) — Technical Report Series 916.

Three components

Saturated fat — 40% weight

WHO recommends saturated fat below 10% of total energy. Score is 100 below the limit, dropping linearly above it.

Omega-6 : Omega-3 ratio — 40% weight

A ratio ≤ 4 scores 100. Between 4 and 10 it falls to 50. Above 10 it continues falling to 0. Foods without omega-3 data receive a moderate penalty.

Unsaturated proportion — 20% weight

The percentage of total fat that is mono- or polyunsaturated. Higher is better.

N/A score

Foods with less than 0.1 g of fat per 100 g receive an N/A score — there is not enough fat to meaningfully evaluate its quality.