Every rule below is the actual rule. No hidden factors. No numeric scores shown publicly.
Each listing carries two separate labels. Verification status answers “what did we actually verify?” Evidence level answers “how strong and complete is the evidence behind this listing?” A well-run maker with thin public documentation scores lower than an average maker that publishes everything — and that is by design.
Documented · Moderate Evidence — meaningful evidence exists, but some details remain unverified.
Reported / Unverified · Limited Evidence — public evidence is insufficient to strongly substantiate the listing. Verify directly.
Example: Registry-listed · Moderate Evidence means we confirmed the registry listing, but the profile is missing items like MOQ numbers, street address, or COA evidence. The internal numeric score (0–77) exists only for ranking and testing — it is never shown.
Label 1 — Verification status
Registry-listed — Named in an independent registry directory (NSF, USDA Integrity, SQF). Shown first, always.
Documented — Cert PDF or audit letter hosted on the maker's own site and linked.
Reported — Claimed on the maker's site, no supporting document found yet. Labelled as reported.
Unverified — Nothing checked yet. No badges shown.
Label 2 — Evidence level (pure paper trail, max 77)
Registry-listed certification — 35 — named in NSF, FDA, or USDA directory
Documented certification — 30 — cert PDF or audit paper on the maker's site
Self-reported certification — 18 — claimed on the maker's site, no doc yet
No verified certs — 0
Extra confirmed certs — +4 each, max 16
MOQ published with numbers — +6 (a quote path earns +3)
Location — +4 city + state, +2 street address
Sources — +5 for 2 or more proof links
Formats + services listed — +4
Lab-test / COA evidence — +5
Bands: Strong ≥ 60 (~= registry proof + complete profile), Moderate 35–59, Limited below 35. Operating makers with no red flags never fall to Limited for thin paperwork alone — Limited is reserved for real problems: unreachable site, broker signals, or unsupported claims.
Operating history — shown, never scored
Years in business, facility size, and customer mentions are useful facts but not evidence strength. They appear on each listing as maker-stated facts (“Operating since 1977, as stated by maker”) and earn zero points. Where a fact needs proof — e.g. a dated audit paper — the proof itself scores under evidence.
How makers strengthen their listing (free, always)
Send proof links — registry listings, cert pages, MOQ ranges, address, COA pages — via a listing review request.
Ranges accepted, secrets never required. Anything you would show a buyer counts.
We re-check against your site and the registries, a human reviews, and the listing updates on the next deploy.
Listings are never for sale. Paying cannot change a label.
What the labels do not mean
We never rate product quality, responsiveness, or pricing. “Moderate Evidence” is not a judgment of the maker — it describes the strength of our paper trail.
“Not found” means we did not find it, not that it does not exist. Every check records which pages were read and when; misses can be re-checked or submitted.
Rubric v4, September 2026. Weights are fixed before scoring and changes are noted here.