Confidence level
Where the data on an ingredient sheet comes from and how reliable it is.
What it is
Some ingredient sheets carry a confidence level that tells you where their data comes from and how reliable it is. It's a transparent way of showing you how solid each value is, rather than hiding it.
The four levels
High
Data backed by at least one official source with the code of the specific food, for example:
- USDA FoodData Central (United States Department of Agriculture).
- BEDCA (Spanish Food Composition Database).
- CIQUAL (the French reference).
- EuroFIR or another official food composition database.
An official source cited without a food code doesn't count for this level.
About half of the catalog sits at this level.
Medium
Data from the manufacturer's technical data sheet (with its publication year), without an official source with a code. Fine for general professional use; verify the specific values if the ingredient is central to your recipe.
Low
Data from a scientific publication or an AI estimate with no confirmed official or manufacturer source. Any sheet enriched without a real search for sources also lands at this level. Useful as a reference, but verify it before basing critical decisions on it (regulatory labeling, allergens communicated to a customer).
Extrapolated
Data copied from a similar ingredient in the catalog when no direct source was found. Treat it as indicative and verify it with your own supplier before moving to production.
How it's identified on the sheet
When a sheet has been AI-enriched, the Nutrition Facts tab of the ingredient sheet shows a note indicating that the technical sheet has been AI-enriched, along with the corresponding confidence level.
The note shows the level in plain language — for example "Technical sheet AI-enriched · high confidence". Each visible text maps to one of the four levels on this page:
| Text on the sheet | Level |
|---|---|
| high confidence | High |
| medium confidence | Medium |
| low confidence | Low |
| extrapolated confidence | Extrapolated |
If the sheet stores a reference for where its data comes from, the same tab shows, just before that note, the Data source block with that reference and its links.
Not every sheet shows this note: it only appears on AI-enriched sheets. The rest comes directly from the catalog's official sources.
What to do with a medium or low level
- Compare it against your supplier's official technical sheet if you have one.
- Verify the specific value you're going to use for labeling or customer communication.
- If you work with that ingredient regularly, keep your verified data in your own catalog with Import and export.
Why this system exists
Because not every ingredient in the world has an official sheet, and as a professional chocolatier you can't wait for one to appear before you start working. The confidence level tells you clearly how well-backed each value is.