This page explains how Unbox Health lab tests products to ensure that we are collect highly accurate and reliable data for all products on the platform.
Lab Testing OverviewLab SelectionChallenges in Food TestingOur Testing ProcessAPPENDIXConvergence Criteria
Lab Testing Overview
In order for Unbox Health to confidently rate and certify products, UH needs to have a high level of confidence in:
- The data coming from our lab partners
- Our interpretation of this data
As a rule, every product sample is tested across multiple labs (minimum two, maximum four), to guarantee that the results always converge.
Lab Selection
Unbox Health exclusively partners with NABL-accredited, FSSAI-notified food labs - of which there are only ~215 in the entire country.
Among these, UH has extensively evaluated/audited ~20+ labs, and chosen 4-5 tier-1 lab partners that consistently provide the most accurate and highest quality of reporting.
Almost all the labs that Unbox Health partners with happen to be Internationally recognised, and owned by large multi-national corporations with rigorous quality control standards.
Challenges in Food Testing
- In the ideal world, every lab would produce highly accurate and repeatable results. Unfortunately, that is not how food testing works.
- Even among the best labs, there is an expected margin of deviation - the same sample, tested using the same technique at two different labs will most likely yield slightly different results.
- Lab testing in the real world can sometimes yield erroneous results - even the best labs could occasionally make errors stemming from incorrect sample preparation, differences in technician skill sets, human interpretation differences, etc.
Our Testing Process
To counter some of the complexities mentioned above, Unbox Health has devised a lab testing & data reconciliation process that addresses these challenges and ensures that we are only working with highly accurate, repeatable and reliable data for all products on the platform.
Every parameter for every product is evaluated using the process defined in this flow chart below:
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Here are the core elements that led us to define the process in this way:
- Convergence: For every parameter, there is a clearly defined convergence criteria. For example: If a sample is sent to LabA and LabB for ParameterX, ValueA and ValueB must fall within +/-Y% of each other. See more on convergence criteria in Appendix below.
- Redundancy: Every product sample is always sent to at least two labs for redundancy. If the values don’t meet the convergence criteria, the sample is sent to a third lab (and occasionally even a fourth lab).
- Consensus: We must establish a Consensus value for every parameter before we can confidently apply our rating methodology. If we do not have a Consensus value for a parameter, it cannot be used to derive a rating.
- Benefit of doubt: Even when two values converge, we need to pick one of the two values as the Consensus Value. By default, UH always gives the benefit of the doubt to the brand, by choosing the value that is closer to the number mentioned on the product’s Nutritional Label. Let's say for a given sample: LabA reports 12.5g sugar, LabB reports 13.0g sugar and the product’s label claims 11.5g sugar. UH will use LabA’s 12.5g sugar as the Consensus Value since this is closer to the label claim.
APPENDIX
Convergence Criteria
When a sample is sent to two labs for the same parameter, the two values must converge for us to arrive at a Consensus value. The convergence criteria depends on the type of parameter and is defined below:
Parameter | Convergence Criteria |
Protein | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Carbohydrates | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Dietary Fibre | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Total Sugar | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Fat | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Added Sugar | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Saturated Fat | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Trans Fat | ±3g per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Sodium | ±50 mg per 100g OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Total Omega 3 Fatty Acids | ±60 mg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
EPA, DHA, ALA | ±30 mg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Vitamin D | ±5 mcg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Vitamin B12 | ±0.33 mcg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Vitamin K | ±18.33 mcg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Magnesium | ±30 mg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
Calcium | ±333.33 mg per capsule OR (HigherVal / LowerVal) < 150% |
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Lead | ±0.5 ppm OR both values above FSSAI limit |
Arsenic | ±0.5 ppm OR both values above FSSAI limit |
Cadmium | ±0.5 ppm OR both values above FSSAI limit |
Mercury | ±0.5 ppm OR both values above FSSAI limit |
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Total Aflatoxins | ±8 ppb OR both values above FSSAI limit |
Aflatoxin B1 | ±4 ppb OR both values above FSSAI limit |
