How KidoChoice Evaluates Products

Every ingredient has one central evidence profile that is reused across every product containing it. Each profile records what the ingredient is, why it is used, what the evidence shows, pediatric considerations, an evidence-strength rating, regulatory status, the date it was last reviewed, and its references.

We rate evidence strength as High, Moderate, Low or Insufficient. Insufficient is a real answer, and we use it — for example when a label says only “natural flavor” and the actual mixture is not disclosed.

We distinguish association from causation, animal studies from human studies, and high-dose experimental exposure from typical consumer exposure. When the evidence is uncertain, we say so in the summary rather than rounding it to a warning.

Each product recommendation considers:

• Nutritional quality relative to pediatric guidance
• The child's age and developmental stage
• How frequently a product like this is typically consumed
• Ingredient-level evidence from our central profiles
• Regulatory guidance and permitted-use limits
• Pediatric professional recommendations
• Dose and realistic exposure when relevant
• The strength and the limitations of the available evidence

Products land in one of four guidance levels: Good Choice, Reasonable Choice, Best Occasionally, or Consider Another Option. These describe how the product fits the selected child age and its category; they are not danger labels. “Consider Another Option” means another product in the same category would usually be a better fit.

We deliberately do not publish a single numerical health score. A score compresses judgement calls into a number that looks objective and hides the reasoning, and small differences in a formula produce big differences in ranking. We would rather show you the components.

We prioritise regulatory bodies, pediatric professional organisations, and systematic reviews over single studies and secondary reporting. Every important safety claim should be traceable to a specific source.

• AAP
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Heart Association
• Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (Karger)
• CDC
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (MMWR)
• EFSA
• FDA
• Food Research International
• Healthy Eating Research (AAP, AAPD, AHA, AND expert panel)
• Healthy Eating Research / expert panel representing AAP, AHA, AAPD, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• IARC
• Institute of Medicine (now National Academies)
• International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• International Society of Sports Nutrition
• Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
• NIH
• Pediatrics
• Peer-reviewed research
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• WHO
• World Health Organization

References are drawn from the published KidoChoice evidence library. Coverage is still expanding, and not every profile yet carries a dated citation and review date.

A hazard is something that could cause harm under some conditions. A risk is the chance that harm actually happens given real exposure. Most alarming claims online blur these two.

• Dose matters. Effects found at doses hundreds of times higher than a serving of food do not automatically apply to that serving.
• Route matters. Something injected or inhaled in a lab is not the same as something eaten.
• Species matters. Rodent findings sometimes reflect biology that humans do not share.
• Classifications describe hazard, not risk. An IARC group tells you how confident researchers are that something can cause cancer under some conditions — not how likely it is to affect your child at dietary amounts.

KidoChoice provides general educational information about packaged foods and their ingredients. It does not diagnose conditions, provide individualised medical advice or treatment, and does not replace care from your pediatrician or another qualified clinician.

Child profile features exist to highlight things worth noticing and discussing — they are not a clinical assessment. Always check the physical product label for allergen information, and speak with your child's clinician about allergies, growth, feeding difficulties, or any medical condition.

Catalogue products carry a real label-based review. A small number of earlier illustrative records remain and are labelled as such on their own page. More about KidoChoice