> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.terces.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How It Works

> How the Food Additives platform resolves permissions, scores difficulty, and structures regulatory data

The Food Additives platform digitizes the Codex Alimentarius General Standard for Food Additives (CXS 192-1995) — a 530-page PDF governing what ingredients can be used in food worldwide — into a searchable, scored, dashboard-driven intelligence layer.

## The Source: Codex Alimentarius

The [Codex Alimentarius](https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/en/) is the international food standards body (joint FAO/WHO). CXS 192-1995 is the General Standard for Food Additives — it defines:

* Which food additives (ingredients) are permitted in which food categories
* Maximum usage levels (mg/kg or GMP)
* Conditions and exceptions that apply to specific permissions
* Which ingredients have blanket GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) permissions
* Which food categories are excluded from GMP treatment

## How Permissions Are Resolved

Each permission rule in the platform represents one ingredient permitted in one food category. The platform resolves three things for every rule:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Usage Limit Resolved">
    The raw limit text from the standard is parsed into a structured format — either a specific numeric value (e.g., 500 mg/kg), an open-dose GMP permission, or flagged as requiring review.
  </Step>

  <Step title="GMP Context Resolved">
    Each rule knows whether its ingredient also has a blanket GMP permission, and whether its food category is on the GMP exclusion list — resolving potential contradictions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Permission Status Resolved">
    The final status reflects the combined picture:

    * **Permitted** — standard permission with no conflicting signals
    * **Conditional** — the ingredient has a specific rule AND the category is on the GMP exclusion list, creating conflicting signals that need review
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Difficulty Scoring

Every permission rule is scored 0-5 for regulatory difficulty. Each condition adds one point:

| Condition                                             | Points |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------ |
| No recognizable limit type                            | +1     |
| Non-numeric limit (GMP/QS)                            | +1     |
| Contradictory GMP signal (category on exclusion list) | +1     |
| Any regulatory conditions attached                    | +1     |
| Three or more conditions attached                     | +1     |

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Easy (0)">
    Simple numeric rule, no conditions, no conflicts. Fully clear — a manufacturer can use this ingredient at the specified level with confidence.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Standard (1-2)">
    Moderate complexity. The permission is readable but has qualifications — perhaps a condition restricting scope or a non-numeric limit.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Complex (3-4)">
    Significant conditions or contradictions. Multiple regulatory notes apply. Manual review by a regulatory specialist is recommended.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Expert Required (5)">
    Maximum complexity. Multiple conflicting signals plus heavy condition burden. Do not proceed without specialist advice.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## What Questions It Answers

### For Product Development & Formulation

* What ingredients can I use in bread, chocolate, ice cream, ketchup? *(57 product types covered)*
* What's the maximum permitted level for this preservative in canned fruit?
* Which ingredients are "easy" to use vs which need expert review?
* Which ingredient functions have the broadest category coverage?

### For Regulatory & Compliance

* Is ingredient X permitted in food category Y? At what level?
* Which permission rules have 3+ conditions and need specialist review?
* What's the full text of a specific regulatory condition?
* How has the standard changed? Which categories had the most new rules recently?

### For Business Strategy & Market Entry

* Which food categories are most flexible (most permitted ingredients)?
* Which categories are tightly regulated?
* Where are the low-complexity, high-flexibility zones?
* What's the commercial opportunity score for each food category?

## Data Coverage

| Metric                    | Value                                                       |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Ingredients**           | 306 food additives with INS numbers                         |
| **Food Categories**       | 266 Codex food categories                                   |
| **Permission Rules**      | 5,100+ resolved rules                                       |
| **Product Archetypes**    | 57 mapped across 10 industries                              |
| **Regulatory Conditions** | 834 classified by type (scope, exception, exclusion, basis) |
| **Codex Standards**       | Referenced commodity standards linked to permission rules   |