About IQ Digest

IQ Digest is an independent ingredient research publication. We investigate what's actually in the food, beverages, supplements, and personal care products Americans buy every day — and explain it in plain language.

Why we exist

Food manufacturers have spent decades making labels harder to read. Sugar gets split across 60+ aliases. Artificial dyes hide behind E-numbers. Preservatives buried under chemical names nobody recognizes. Regulatory agencies approve ingredients that other countries have banned outright.

We started IQ Digest because people deserve straight answers — not press releases from brands, not vague "generally recognized as safe" shrugs from the FDA. Just the research, explained clearly.

What we cover

• Hidden and fragmented sugars on food labels
• Artificial dyes, preservatives, and synthetic additives
• GMO derivatives and seed oils
• Natural flavor and what the FDA definition actually allows
• Corporate acquisitions and how they change product formulations
• Ingredients banned in the EU or other countries that are still legal in the US

Our scanner

Every article is backed by our free AI ingredient scanner at ingredientquery.com. Upload any food, cosmetic, or pet food label and get a plain-language breakdown of every ingredient — scored A through F.

Who we are

IQ Digest is an independent project. We are not funded by, affiliated with, or sponsored by any food brand, supplement company, or ingredient supplier. When we recommend a product, it's because it passed our own scanner — not because someone paid us.

Questions or tips? Reach us at devin@ingredientquery.com