Standard Operating Procedure
Clean Label Facts
cleanlabelfood.shop — vetting protocol
Strictly based on label information
- 01All ingredients must be explicitly listed — nothing inferred, nothing assumed.
- 02No vague terms: “natural flavors,” “spices,” “vegetable oil” don't pass as-is.
- 03Oils must be clearly specified — e.g. cold-pressed mustard oil, extra virgin olive oil.
What's allowed and what's excluded, with the nuances that decide it.
Exclusions
not acceptedRefined oils, any kind
Palm, canola, sunflower, rice bran, soybean, or blends — unless explicitly labelled cold-pressed, wood-pressed, expeller-pressed, or unrefined.
Artificial sweeteners
Aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K.
Synthetic preservatives
BHA, BHT, sodium benzoate.
Synthetic colours
Red 40, Yellow 5.
Artificial flavour enhancers
MSG, disodium inosinate, yeast extract.
Chemical emulsifiers / stabilizers
Polysorbates, carrageenan.
Isolated vitamins, minerals & vague flavour terms
No added isolated vitamins or minerals. “Natural flavour” or “nature-identical flavour” are non-compliant unless the source is transparently named. Proprietary blends without full ingredient transparency are not accepted.
Allowed
if clearly labelledMinimally processed oils
Extra virgin olive, cold-pressed coconut, wood-pressed groundnut, expeller-pressed sunflower, unrefined mustard.
Naturally occurring sweeteners
Jaggery, dates, honey.
Natural preservatives
Vinegar, citric acid, rosemary extract.
Real-food ingredients
Salt, herbs, whole spices.
Plant-derived gums — only when functionally critical
e.g. gluten-free baking. The cleaner the function and the label transparency, the better.
- · Must be food-first.
- · No disease, cure, treatment, detox, hormone, or symptom-relief claims.
- · Plant extracts are allowed when used for flavour, colour, preservation, natural sweetness, or other essential food functions.
- · Must be certified organic under USDA Organic.
- · No additives, fortification, or proprietary blends permitted.
- · Verification is based solely on visible label information — packaging or official listing.
Allowed only if no practical clean-label alternative exists. Additives must be minimal, functionally necessary, and fully disclosed.
Protein ingredients — permitted as primary protein source
Creatine
Only Creapure® creatine monohydrate is accepted, with no unnecessary additives.
CLF curates supplements only within these five categories for now: Magnesium, B-Complex, D3+K2, Zinc, and Omega-3. This isn't a standalone-only rule — combination products qualify too, as long as every nutrient listed below meets its form standard where one is specified. Nutrients not called out here (e.g. B2, B5, B7 within a B-Complex) carry no form requirement — only the standard label gates apply: full transparency, no unnecessary fillers, capsule material disclosed.
Magnesium
Glycinate / Malate / Citrate / Threonate
Any bioavailable form accepted, use-case dependent. Oxide excluded — roughly 4% absorption, filler-grade.
Folate (B9)
Methylfolate (5-MTHF)
Active form, no conversion needed. Folic Acid excluded — a meaningful share of people convert it poorly.
Vitamin B12
Methylcobalamin
Active form. Cyanocobalamin excluded — synthetic, needs liver conversion.
Vitamin D3
Cholecalciferol
Only form accepted. D2 (Ergocalciferol) excluded — weaker conversion.
Vitamin K2
MK-7
Fermentation-derived, source disclosed. MK-4 excluded — shorter half-life.
Zinc
Bisglycinate / Picolinate
Either accepted. Oxide excluded — roughly 15% absorption.
Omega-3
Triglyceride (TG) / Krill Oil / Algae-based
Fish TG, krill (phospholipid-bound), or algae — all accepted. Ethyl Ester (EE) excluded — notably lower absorption. Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) accepted as an antioxidant — functionally necessary to protect oil from oxidation, same logic as natural preservatives elsewhere in this SOP. Purity testing for heavy metals and oxidation strongly preferred where disclosed.
cleanlabelfood.shop only features products with full label transparency.
Our goal is to simplify clean choices through ingredient transparency — not ingredient perfection.
CLEANLABELFOOD.SHOP