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Functional metrics (food pages)

Overview​

Food pages can optionally include Functional metrics inside the Nutrient Tables block. These are qualitative scores intended for within-framework orientation (not precision nutrition).

Why scores (not numbers)​

Many “functional” attributes (e.g. total polyphenols proxy, antioxidant capacity proxies, processing-sensitive bioactive retention) vary strongly with:

  • cultivar and origin
  • harvest/storage conditions
  • processing (fermentation/roasting/alkalisation, etc.)
  • brand formulation
  • assay method and reporting conventions

Because of that, numeric cross-food comparisons are often misleading. The framework therefore uses Low / Medium / High scores plus short notes.

Scoring scale​

  • Low: present but not a defining feature of the food in typical servings, or highly variable and usually modest.
  • Medium: meaningfully present and relevant in typical servings; can contribute to dietary strategy.
  • High: a defining feature of the food; consistently ranks high within its category, or can be reliably high with common sourcing/preparation patterns.

Front matter schema​

Add this to a food page front matter:

nutrition_functional_metrics:
  - key: total_polyphenols_proxy
    label: Total polyphenols (Folin proxy)
    score: High
    notes: Short, food-specific context about variability, preparation, or interpretation.

Supported scores: Low, Medium, High.