Methodology

How TracedHealth Works

TracedHealth is a consumer transparency database covering brand ownership, acquisition history, ingredient changes, and regulatory records. We research brands using public filings, news archives, and regulatory databases — not brand self-reporting. Here's exactly how our data is produced and what our zone system means.

Data Sources

Every ownership record in TracedHealth is sourced from at least one of the following primary sources. We do not accept brand self-reporting as evidence of ownership structure.

SEC EDGAR

Form S-1, 10-K, 8-K filings for public company ownership and acquisition disclosures

FTC.gov

Merger notifications, consent decrees, and enforcement actions against food and supplement brands

FDA.gov

Warning letters, recall notices, and enforcement databases (CFSAN, CDER)

OpenSecrets.org

Lobbying expenditures and political contributions by parent companies, including food labeling issues

State Corporate Registries

LLC and corporation filings to verify beneficial ownership structures

Press Archives

Reuters, Bloomberg, Food Dive, Eater, and trade press for acquisition announcements

Brand Interviews & Founder Statements

Used as corroborating evidence only — never as primary ownership proof

EWG & Cornucopia Institute

Ingredient testing records and organic certification audits

Zone System

Every brand in TracedHealth is assigned one of three zones based on its ownership structure. The zone reflects who controls the brand — not whether the product is "healthy" or "clean."

Red Zone

Owned by a private equity firm, publicly traded conglomerate (Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, etc.), or a foreign state-linked entity. The original founders have typically exited. Profit extraction is the primary operational mandate.

Examples: Annie's (General Mills), Siete (PepsiCo), Stumptown (JAB/Peet's), Hu Kitchen (Mondelēz)

Yellow Zone

VC-backed, publicly traded as an independent company, or ownership is unclear or in transition. Yellow brands may retain founder involvement but have outside investors with exit pressure. Acquisition risk is elevated.

Examples: Chobani (TPG stake), Oatly (Blackstone + public), Banza (VC-backed), Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL)

Green Zone

Verified founder-owned, family-owned, employee-owned (ESOP), or member-owned cooperative. No PE investment. Founders retain operational control. Profits stay within the founding team or employee base.

Examples: GT's Kombucha, Bob's Red Mill (ESOP), Organic Valley (co-op), Franklin Barbecue, PCC Community Markets

7-Dimension Scoring Framework

Beyond the zone, TracedHealth scores each brand across seven dimensions of transparency. These scores are shown in the full brand profile and inform our Contradiction Score — a measure of how much a brand's "clean" or "natural" marketing conflicts with its parent company's regulatory and lobbying record.

Ownership Clarity

Is the ultimate beneficial owner publicly documented? Do founders still hold voting control or have they exited?

Ingredient Integrity

Has the formula changed post-acquisition? Were organic or non-GMO certifications maintained or quietly dropped?

Regulatory Record

FTC enforcement actions, FDA warning letters, class action settlements, and recall history — at the brand and parent company level.

Lobbying Alignment

Does the parent company lobby against GMO labeling, organic standards, or sugar taxes while owning brands that market themselves as "clean" or "natural"?

Marketing Claims

Are "all natural," "simple ingredients," or "no B.S." claims substantiated — or do they conflict with ingredient lists, ownership structure, or legal settlements?

Price Trajectory

Did retail prices increase materially post-acquisition while ingredients shifted to lower-cost alternatives?

Community Impact

For local and independent brands: employment model, sourcing practices, community investment, and years in operation.

Community Corrections

TracedHealth data is manually researched and periodically updated. If you spot an error — an incorrect ownership record, a missing acquisition, or a zone that no longer reflects current structure — we want to know.

Independent businesses can also submit their information directly through our submission form. Verified independent businesses receive the green badge, which appears when their brand is looked up in TracedHealth or scanned with the barcode scanner.

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