SugarShield is designed for safety-first decisions. Missing hidden sugar is riskier than over-warning.
Sugar hides in plain sight
Food labels often use dozens of alternative names — maltodextrin, dextrose, cane juice, rice syrup, corn syrup solids, and more.
Keyword-only systems miss cases
A basic system looking for "sugar" would miss "corn syrup solids." SugarShield is specifically designed to catch these hidden forms.
Missing it is worse
A false negative tells someone a product is safe when it isn't. A false positive just prompts a double-check. We optimize accordingly.
We intentionally over-warn rather than miss hidden sugar, because false negatives are riskier for our users than a false alarm.
Trigger Match Rate
How often the model identifies the correct sugar ingredient
| Example | Input Type | Expected | Actual | Confidence | Trigger(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classic Cola Classic Cola | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | High Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | caramelcorn syrupfructose | Classic sugary soda case. |
Kids Juice Pouch Fruit Punch Pouch | Link (Simulated) | Potential Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | - | Concentrates are often hidden sugar sources. |
Plain Oats Rolled Oats | Upload (Simulated) | No Added Sugar Detected | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | - | Single ingredient, no sugar. |
BBQ Sauce Smoky BBQ Sauce | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | corn syrupfructosehigh fructose corn syrup | Multiple sugar sources. |
Diet Soda Zero Sugar Cola | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | caramel | Artificial sweeteners trigger FAIL in strict mode. |
Energy Bar Power Bar | Upload (Simulated) | Potential Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | brown rice syrupcane sugarrice syrup | Syrups and cane sugar. |
Greek Yogurt (Plain) Nonfat Greek Yogurt | Scan (Simulated) | No Added Sugar Detected | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | - | Natural lactose is not flagged. |
Vanilla Almond Milk Sweetened Almond Milk | Link (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | High Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | cane sugarsugar | Added cane sugar. |
Ketchup Tomato Ketchup | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | High Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | corn syrupfructosehigh fructose corn syrup | Common hidden sugar source. |
Rice Crackers Rice Snaps | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | sugar | Explicit 'Sugar' ingredient. |
Vitamin Water Enhanced Water | Link (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | cane sugarfructosesugar | Crystalline Fructose is a potent added sugar. |
Granola Honey Granola | Upload (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | honeymolasses | Honey is sometimes allowed, but Molasses triggers FAIL. |
Coconut Water Pure Coconut Water | Scan (Simulated) | No Added Sugar Detected | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | - | Natural sugars in fruit juice/water are usually PASS if no added sugar. |
Pasta Sauce Marinara | Scan (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | sugar | Unexpected sugar in savory food. |
Salad Dressing Raspberry Vinaigrette | Link (Simulated) | High Sugar Risk | Potential Sugar Risk | LowHeuristic analysis | sugar | High sugar content. |
Live evaluation data. Lenient mode results are simulated for comparison.
PM Insight
"Several WARN results (e.g., Diet Soda, Coconut Water) are intentional. These products contain sweeteners or naturally occurring sugars that are debated in nutritional science. SugarShield defaults to caution rather than silent pass to preserve user trust."
This system may over-flag some products. This is an intentional tradeoff to prioritize user safety.