Help & guides
Everything you need to scan products, understand the score, read food and cosmetic labels, and set up diet and allergy alerts.
Browse by topic
How to scan a food barcode with your iPhone
Scan the barcode on any food or cosmetic with your iPhone camera to see its 0–100 score in about a second — and what to do if the camera won't read it.
Read guide →What does a product's 0–100 score mean?
Novaz rates every product from 0 to 100 and gives it one of four colors. Here's what Excellent, Good, Poor and Bad mean — and what the score doesn't tell you.
Read guide →How the food score is calculated
A food's score is 60% nutritional quality, 30% additives and 10% organic, with a cap of 49 for any product that contains a high-risk additive. Here's how each part works.
Read guide →Why doesn't this product have a score?
Sometimes a scanned product shows its details but no score. Here's why — missing nutrition facts, too few rated ingredients, or a category that isn't scored — and what you can do.
Read guide →Barcode not found? How to add a product
If a scan comes back 'not found,' you can add the product yourself in about a minute with a few photos. Here's how it works and where what you add is kept.
Read guide →UPC vs. EAN barcodes: what's the difference?
UPC barcodes have 12 digits and are used in the U.S. and Canada; EAN barcodes have 13 and are used almost everywhere else. Here's how they relate — and why both scan the same way.
Read guide →Can you scan products offline?
Every product you've opened in Novaz is saved on your iPhone, so you can reopen it with no signal. New products need a connection for the lookup. Here's how it works.
Read guide →What is Nutri-Score? The A–E food label explained
Nutri-Score rates a food's nutritional quality from A (dark green) to E (orange) using calories, sugar, saturated fat, salt, fiber, protein and produce. Here's how it works.
Read guide →What are food additives and E-numbers?
Additives are substances added to food for color, texture, flavor or shelf life. Here's what E-numbers mean, how additives are grouped, and how Novaz rates them.
Read guide →How to read a Nutrition Facts label in 60 seconds
A quick guide to the U.S. Nutrition Facts label: start with the serving size, use % Daily Value (5% is low, 20% is high), and check added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
Read guide →How to spot added sugar on an ingredient list
Added sugar hides under dozens of names, from dextrose to evaporated cane juice. Here's how to find it on U.S. labels and ingredient lists.
Read guide →Does organic food score higher?
Organic status counts for 10% of a food's score in Novaz. Here's what that bonus means, what 'organic' guarantees on a U.S. label — and what it doesn't.
Read guide →Why processed meats with nitrites score low
Ham, bacon and deli meats often contain nitrites like sodium nitrite (E250). Here's why they affect the score, what 'uncured' really means, and what to look for instead.
Read guide →Why can a zero-sugar drink still score poorly?
Diet and zero-sugar sodas skip the sugar, but sweeteners, acids and colors are additives — and they count. Here's how drinks are scored.
Read guide →How cosmetics and personal care products are rated
Novaz checks every ingredient in a cosmetic against risk groups — endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, allergens, irritants and pollutants. The riskiest ingredient sets the ceiling.
Read guide →How to read a cosmetic ingredient list (INCI)
Cosmetic ingredients are listed by INCI name, in order of concentration. Here's how to decode 'aqua,' 'parfum' and CI numbers, and what the order tells you.
Read guide →How to check the ingredients in your shampoo, lotion or sunscreen
Scan the barcode on shampoo, body lotion, sunscreen or makeup to see each ingredient's risk — and find a better-rated option on the same shelf.
Read guide →What does 'fragrance' or 'parfum' mean on a label?
'Fragrance' on a U.S. label can stand for a blend of many scent ingredients that don't have to be named. Here's what that means and how to spot fragrance allergens.
Read guide →How to set up diet and allergy alerts
Tell Novaz what you avoid — gluten, lactose, palm oil, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, eggs or animal products — and every scan warns you when a product doesn't fit.
Read guide →How to check if a product is gluten-free
How to tell whether a packaged food is gluten-free: the FDA labeling rule, hidden sources like malt and barley, and how a scan can flag gluten for you.
Read guide →How to check if a product is vegan
Animal ingredients hide behind names like casein, carmine and gelatin. Here's what to look for on food and cosmetic labels — and how to get vegan alerts on every scan.
Read guide →Scanning for allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, soy and eggs
How to use a product scanner alongside peanut, tree nut, soy and egg allergies — what the U.S. 'Contains' statement covers, what 'may contain' means, and where scanning stops.
Read guide →How to find palm-oil-free products
Palm oil turns up in spreads, cookies, snacks and cosmetics under several names. Here's how to spot it and set a palm-oil-free alert.
Read guide →How to find healthier alternatives to a product
When a product scores poorly, Novaz suggests products from the same category that score at least 10 points higher, filtered by your diet. Here's how it picks them.
Read guide →How to use scan history, favorites and the monthly overview
Every product you scan is saved to your history. Filter by food or cosmetics, star favorites, and see a chart of your month's scores.
Read guide →What's included in Novaz PRO — and how the free trial works
Novaz PRO adds product search, diet and allergy alerts, your full history and up to 10 alternatives. Here's what's free, what's PRO, and how the trial works.
Read guide →How to cancel your Novaz PRO subscription
Cancel Novaz PRO — or a free trial — from your iPhone's Settings in a few taps. You keep PRO until the end of the period you've paid for.
Read guide →How to search for a product by name or brand
No barcode handy? Search food and cosmetics by name or brand to check a score before you shop — a Novaz PRO feature.
Read guide →