The Whole Manna Standard

Every product in Whole Manna is checked against one standard. A product either meets it, and is Manna Approved, or it doesn't, and we tell you exactly which ingredient kept it out. The same label always gets the same answer: there's no paid placement and no brand gets a pass.

What keeps a product out

• Seed oils, every form: canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower (including high-oleic), grapeseed, rice bran, peanut, sesame, and anything sold as "vegetable oil."
• Palm oil, every form, including organic and "sustainable" palm.
• Gums and thickeners: xanthan, guar, gellan, locust bean, carrageenan, cellulose gum, acacia.
• Natural and artificial flavors. The one exception is organic vanilla flavor on its own.
• Lecithin (soy or sunflower).
• Synthetic dyes, including caramel color and titanium dioxide.
• Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols: sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, and stevia blends made with them.
• Processed sugars: high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose.
• Synthetic preservatives: BHA, BHT, TBHQ, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, synthetic nitrites.
• Hydrogenated and interesterified fats, shortening and margarine.
• Emulsifiers and lab-made ingredients: polysorbates, DATEM, mono- and diglycerides, MSG, hydrolyzed proteins, protein isolates, modified starch.
• Flour conditioners: potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, bleached flour.
• GMOs, including anything carrying the federal "bioengineered" disclosure.
• Anything that isn't certified organic. Organic rules ban GMOs and synthetic pesticides, so this one requirement covers both. Water, salt and wild-caught fish are exempt, since they aren't farmed.

What's fine

• Real sugars, with no penalty: cane sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, date sugar, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, agave.
• Good fats: olive, avocado and coconut oil, butter, ghee, tallow, lard.
• Organic vanilla flavor, pure monk fruit, celery powder, sea salt, vinegar.

Allowed, but they cost points

Citric acid, enriched flour, pure stevia leaf, cultured dextrose, pea protein, inulin (chicory root fiber) and vital wheat gluten don't keep a product out, but they lower its Manna Score.

The Manna Score

Approved products score 50 to 100, based on how short and simple the ingredient list is, how little processing it shows, its nutrition, and its sourcing (organic, regenerative, grass-fed). Products that don't meet the Standard score below 50, so you can still see which one on the shelf is the better pick.

When nothing on the shelf passes

You'll still get an answer. Whole Manna shows the best available option and explains what holds it back.

What we're honest about

• An ingredient list can't prove how a crop was grown, so we rely on organic certification, not marketing words.
• If we can't read a label clearly enough to be sure, we say "Not rated yet" instead of guessing.
• Product data comes from manufacturers and public databases, and labels change. Always check the package, especially for allergies.
• The Standard is our whole-food criteria. It isn't medical advice.

Spot a mistake? Email support@wholemanna.com.