Question 1

what is ultra-processed food?

Accepted Answer

ultra-processed food means industrially manufactured products with ingredients you would never find in a home kitchen, like emulsifiers, flavourings and colourants. the classification comes from the NOVA system, which groups food by degree of processing. a large share of the products in Norwegian grocery stores fall into this category.

Question 2

how do i tell if a product is ultra-processed?

Accepted Answer

read the ingredient list. if you find emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavourings, colourants or other ingredients you don't keep at home, the product is usually ultra-processed. sumt does the check for you the moment you scan the barcode.

Question 3

is all processed food unhealthy?

Accepted Answer

no. canned tomatoes, butter and sourdough bread are processed without being ultra-processed. the line goes at industrial additives and processes you can't do at home. NOVA divides food into four groups, and it's group 4 that sumt rules ultra-processed.

Question 4

why should i care about ultra-processed food?

Accepted Answer

a growing body of research links high intake of ultra-processed food to poorer health, and dietary guidelines in several countries now lean towards more whole food. sumt makes it easy to see what's actually what while you're standing in the store.

Question 5

which foods are typically ultra-processed?

Accepted Answer

soda, sweets and ready meals, but also plenty that looks healthy: breakfast cereals, flavoured yogurts, margarine and a large part of the bread aisle. that's why the verdict surprises so many.

Question 6

what does «renvare» mean?

Accepted Answer

renvare ("clean product") is sumt's stamp for products made from real ingredients with little industrial processing — usually a short ingredient list. butter with four ingredients is a renvare; margarine with fifteen additives is not. and a sourdough bread with seventeen real ingredients? still a renvare — what the ingredients are matters, not how many.

Question 7

is renvare the same as healthy?

Accepted Answer

not automatically. renvare is about degree of processing and the ingredient list, not calories. butter is a renvare. but if you want to avoid industrial additives, renvare is the stamp to look for.

Question 8

who decides what counts as renvare?

Accepted Answer

no individuals, and no manufacturers. the verdict is passed automatically by the classification, based on the product's ingredient list. it is not possible to pay for a better verdict.

Question 9

how does sumt reach its verdict?

Accepted Answer

the app reads the product's ingredient list and nutrition facts and classifies it using the NOVA system. the database covers over 42 000 Norwegian grocery products.

Question 10

can the verdict be wrong?

Accepted Answer

if a manufacturer changes the recipe, the verdict can lag until the database is updated. if you spot something that looks off, you can report it right in the app and it gets fixed.

Question 11

what if a product isn't in sumt?

Accepted Answer

the database covers over 42 000 Norwegian grocery products and keeps growing, most-scanned products first. scan the product in the app — chances are it's already there.

Question 12

is sumt independent?

Accepted Answer

yes. sumt carries no ads from food manufacturers, and nobody can pay for their verdict. the assessment is made automatically by the classification, no matter who made the product.

Question 13

is sumt free?

Accepted Answer

yes. the app is free to download, and scanning with a verdict costs nothing. plus features like the recipes live in sumt+.

Question 14

what is sumt+?

Accepted Answer

sumt+ is the plus subscription. it gives you, among other things, hundreds of recipes built on real ingredients, adapted to your household's allergies and preferences. it costs 39 kr per month or 349 kr per year.

Question 15

can i cancel sumt+ whenever i want?

Accepted Answer

yes, there is no lock-in. the subscription is managed through the App Store or Google Play, and you can cancel at any time.

Question 16

does sumt find better alternatives?

Accepted Answer

yes. when a product gets the ultra-processed verdict, the app suggests renvare products in the same category that do the same job, sorted by what matters most to you, like less sugar or more protein.

Question 17

how are the alternatives chosen?

Accepted Answer

the alternatives are renvare products in the same category as the product you scanned, sorted by what you care about — less sugar, more protein or less salt. the suggestions should do the same job in your kitchen.

Question 18

does sumt warn about allergens?

Accepted Answer

yes. add your and your family's allergies, and the app alerts you the moment you scan a product that isn't safe for one of you.

Question 19

can the whole family use sumt?

Accepted Answer

yes. you add your household in the app with allergies and preferences per person, and the verdict takes everyone into account while you shop.

the shelf is full of questions.sumt gives you the answer.

check your own product.

one scan. three better picks.

the list that looks out for you.

real food on the table.

56 % of the food in Norwegian stores is ultra-processed.

what people wonder about.

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