Now, rating system that tells you which junk food is the least bad

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ANI Washington
Last Updated : Oct 28 2014 | 1:35 PM IST

An environmental organization in America has developed a new database that breaks down which foods are good and not so good.

The Environmental Working Group's database scores more than 80,000 grocery items, based on nutrition, safety of ingredients, food additives and the amount of processing, Fox News reported.

The organization said that their idea is to get shoppers to make "healthier, greener and cleaner food choices" helped also by a free app -to be released soon-that offers information with the scan of a smartphone.

The products are rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the best) and how well they perform in three categories: nutrition, processing, and "ingredients of concern." Nutrition makes up about 70 percent of the score, ingredients about 20 percent, and the amount of processing is 10 percent.

Ken Cook, EWG's president and cofounder, said that things that get bad scores are breakfast cereal, frozen pizza and even some meats. More positive scores were given to foods higher in protein, fiber, omega-3s, and minimal processing-foods "closer to what you might find in your kitchen than what you might find in a chemical plant.

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First Published: Oct 28 2014 | 1:24 PM IST

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