> ## 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.
# Metrics & Scoring
> How the Food Additives platform calculates difficulty, opportunity, and flexibility scores
This page explains every score and metric in the Food Additives platform — what it measures, how it's calculated, and how to interpret it.
## Ingredient Metrics
These metrics describe individual ingredients across all their permitted food categories.
| Metric | What it measures | How to interpret |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Category Reach** | Number of food categories where this ingredient is permitted | Higher = more versatile ingredient. Top ingredients span 100+ categories. |
| **Condition Burden** | Average conditions per food category for this ingredient | Higher = more regulatory qualifications per use. Above 2.0 means expect conditions on most uses. |
| **Average Difficulty** | Average difficulty score (0-5) across all rules for this ingredient | Below 1.0 = generally straightforward. Above 3.0 = expect complexity in most categories. |
| **Open-Dose Percentage** | Share of categories where no numeric limit is set (GMP applies) | Higher = more categories without a specific number. Manufacturer uses minimum needed for effect. |
| **Family Breadth** | Number of top-level food families the ingredient spans | Max is 15. Higher = ingredient crosses more diverse food types (dairy, bakery, beverages, etc.). |
## Food Category Metrics
These metrics describe individual food categories across all their permitted ingredients.
| Metric | What it measures | How to interpret |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Formulation Flexibility** | Number of ingredients permitted in this category | Higher = more formulation options. Top categories have 70+ permitted ingredients. |
| **Condition Density** | Average conditions per ingredient in this category | Higher = more conditional category. Above 2.0 means most ingredients come with conditions. |
| **Average Difficulty** | Average difficulty score (0-5) across all rules in this category | Below 1.0 = straightforward category. Above 3.0 = regulatory "hard zone." |
| **Expert Review Rate** | Percentage of rules with 3+ conditions requiring specialist review | Above 20% means a significant share of ingredients need careful interpretation. |
| **Difficulty Tier** | Categorical band based on average difficulty | **Low** (avg \< 1.5), **Medium** (1.5-3.0), **High** (avg >= 3.0) |
## Difficulty Score (0-5)
Every permission rule is scored for regulatory difficulty. The score is the sum of five binary conditions:
| Condition | Points | What it detects |
| ------------------------------ | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| No recognizable limit type | +1 | The usage limit couldn't be classified — ambiguous |
| Non-numeric limit (GMP/QS) | +1 | No specific number — "use minimum needed" (vague) |
| Category on GMP exclusion list | +1 | Contradictory signal — GMP permitted but category excluded |
| Has any conditions | +1 | At least one regulatory note qualifies the permission |
| Has 3+ conditions | +1 | Heavily conditional — many qualifications on one rule |
### Difficulty Labels
| Label | Score | Guidance |
| ------------------- | ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Easy** | 0 | Clear permission with a specific numeric limit and no conditions |
| **Standard** | 1-2 | Some nuance — a non-numeric limit or a condition to review |
| **Complex** | 3 | Multiple factors complicate interpretation. Review carefully. |
| **Expert Required** | 4-5 | Significant regulatory complexity. Consult a specialist before proceeding. |
A difficulty score is not a safety rating. It measures how complex the regulatory permission is to *interpret*, not how safe the ingredient is to use.
## Commercial Opportunity Score (0-100)
Available on Premium and Enterprise tiers only.
The opportunity score identifies food categories where regulatory complexity creates competitive barriers — categories where manufacturers who invest in regulatory understanding gain an advantage.
### Weighting
| Factor | Weight | Logic |
| ------------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Regulatory Difficulty** | 30% | Higher average difficulty = harder for competitors to navigate |
| **Expert Review Rate** | 25% | Higher share of rules needing specialist review = higher barrier |
| **Category Reach** | 20% | More ingredients available = more formulation possibilities |
| **Condition Burden** | 15% | More conditions = more regulatory nuance to master |
| **Standards Coverage** | 10% | More Codex commodity standards referencing this category = more regulatory context |
### Opportunity Tiers
| Tier | Score Range | What it means |
| ---------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **High** | 67-100 | Strong commercial opportunity — regulatory complexity creates competitive moat |
| **Medium** | 34-66 | Moderate opportunity — some regulatory barriers but not extreme |
| **Low** | 0-33 | Low barriers — easier for competitors to enter |
## Ingredient Function Metrics
These metrics describe functional classes (e.g., Preservative, Emulsifier, Color).
| Metric | What it measures | How to interpret |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Ingredient Count** | Number of distinct ingredients serving this function | Higher = more options when selecting an ingredient for this function |
| **Category Coverage** | Number of food categories reached by ingredients in this class | Higher = broader applicability across the food industry |
| **Rules per Ingredient** | Average permission rules per ingredient in this class | Higher = ingredients in this class tend to be more versatile |
## Regulatory Change Metrics
These metrics track how the standard has evolved over time.
| Metric | What it measures | How to interpret |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Adoption Year** | Year a permission rule was adopted into the standard | More recent = newer addition, potentially less established in industry practice |
| **Change Risk Score** | Composite score (40% recency + 35% complexity + 25% standards coverage) | Higher = category may see future regulatory changes. Useful for monitoring. |
## Understanding "Open Dose (GMP)"
When a usage limit shows "Open dose (GMP)" or "GMP", it means:
* There is **no fixed maximum level** for this ingredient in this category
* The ingredient should be used at the **minimum quantity needed** to achieve its intended technological effect
* This follows **Good Manufacturing Practice** — a principle, not a number
Open-dose permissions give manufacturers flexibility, but also require judgment. Document your rationale for the level you choose.