CLEVER Eye Institute

Many people have relied on "Heart Healthy" food labeling to help them select foods that reduce their dietary cholesterol. Now, people with concerns about eating "Eye Healthy" foods can rely on the Eye Q food certification program!

What is the Eye Q Eye Healthy Food Certification Program?

The Eye Q Eye Healthy Food Certification program is designed to help consumers to identify foods that have nutrients known to be associated with improving and maintaining eye health. The Eye Q program has specific two parts. The first part involves working with food growers, producers, grocers, nutritionists, and others in the food industry to certify eye healthy food products. The certification allows the product to display the "Certified Eye Healthy" label as a means of educating consumers and allowing them to make an informed decision about which product is best for their eye health. The second part of the program is a process that determines the actual benefits of a given food and assigns a numerical "Eye Q" score to that product so that consumers can better understand the relative importance of the food for eye health, and with which they can compare food choices while shopping and planning meals.

How is the Eye Q Score created?

Eye health is determined by many nutrients available in foods. Some of these nutrients have a beneficial effect, while some nutrients have a negative effect on eye health. The Eye Q score comes from a complex set of equations that look at the relative amount of each nutrient in a given serving size, and the equations also take into account the relative importance of each nutrient to eye health. For example, it is known that foods rich in omega-3, lutein, beta carotene, and other beneficial nutrients are important for good eye health. However, some foods have elevated amounts of cholesterol, sugar, salt, and saturated fats, which tends to have negative effect on your eye health. These foods should be eaten only in limited amounts, if at all. The Eye Q scoring algorithm uses the availability of 28 different nutrients in the foods you eat to determine eye healthy certification. The score is calculated so as to have a value between 0 and 200, with 100 Eye Q points being the minumum threshold for a food certified for good eye health. Only foods that have 100 or more Eye Q points are allowed to display the Eye Q eye healthy certification label.

What does the Eye Q labeling look like?

There are different versions of the label, depending on use. Below are examples of a label with no Eye Q score listed, which is used typically to refer to the certification process or for whole foods sold in bulk. Another version shows a certification label with the Eye Q score displayed as it would be used on a specific product package. You should also click the button at the bottom of the page to see other examples of the Eye Q certification label. We provide the artwork for you to use along with your license, and we have the ability to make customized versions of the label that meet our requirements and yours.

Version without the Eye Q Score shown:
Version with an Eye Q Score shown:

I am a food producer. How do I certify my food product(s) and obtain the label license?

The first thing to do is to contact us so we know that you are considering labeling your food products as eye healthy. We will then send you information so you will know what we need from you to certify your product. Typically you will already have this information on hand from the bioassay that was performed to establish the nutritional content of the product for FDA required labeling. Note that this information usually is provided in the form that the food is consumed, although it can also be in a raw form because how the final product is eaten is determined entirely by the person preparing the food. Typically we certify whole or unprocessed foods in raw form for a specific serving size (e.g., 1 cup/serving of uncooked broccoli), while processed foods are certified in the recommended prepared form in accordance with the nutritional label (e.g., 4 oz./serving of cooked chicken nuggets). Once we recieve the information, we can determine the Eye Q score using our proprietary algorithms and let you know if the food product has a score of 100 or above that allows you to then license and display the certification label. Turn-around time is usually 1 business day once we have all of the information we need to begin analysis.

How much does the certification cost?

We require a small application fee to determine the Eye Q score for each product we analyze. This helps us to support the administration of the program. The cost of certification and labeling is similar to other food certification programs. keep in mind that we place no restrictions on how often the licensed label is used for each certified product during the period of certification (12 months). The cost is the same to you whether you make hundreds or millions of servings of that product. However, you cannot reuse the license for another product or if the product is sold with a different recommended serving size. We provide a 10% discount if more than 5 different products from a single company undergoes certification at the same time. The labeling artwork will be provided at no cost to you. It will be in the form of a high resolution electronic file. Special requests to customize the artwork or to provide different file formats may be possible, but will require an additional charge to be determined. Be aware that users are not allowed to modify any of labeling artwork without the permission of the CLEVER Eye Institute. Please contact us for specific cost information using the Request Info button below.

What happens if I change the ingredients of a product during the license period?

If there is any change in the ingredients after certification, or a change in the processing (cooking or preservation method), or in the portion size of the product during the original certification period of 12 months, then the product certification is no longer valid. The altered product must be recertified. Typically any change noted above will result in a different Eye Q score and the score may rise or fall relative to the original score. If you have essentially the same product that needs to be certified, but it comes in different versions (e.g., 1 oz servings of chocolate chunks for baking and 1 oz. servings of chocolate chips for baking), please let us know and it may be possible to use one license for both products.

How long does certification last?

Because nutritional science and medical information is constantly advancing with time, certification is limited to a period of one year. Prior approval for certification is not an indication that approval can be renewed or extended beyond a period of one year, particularly if new scientific evidence brings into question the beneficial nature of a particular nutrient or ingredient. We do allow a grace period for recertification of previously licensed products, however, we will contact you to tell you when you are nearing the end of your certification period in order to avoid an lapse in certification. If there is no change in the product as described above, recertification is typically an administrative action.

Can additional statements be included on labeling a product as eye healthy?

Sometimes, but caution is indicated when making claims. It is for example permissible to indicate the content of specific nutrients (e.g., "High in lutein and beta carotene.") or to use other labeling that indicates the benefits os such nutrients to eye health (e.g., "Part of an eye healthy diet."). However, it is typically a violation of FDA regulations to assert, suggest, or imply that an ordinary food product is certified to treat a medical condition or reverse the effects of a disease or disorder without substantive proof of such a claim. The CLEVER Eye Institute makes no claims that Eye Q certification or the Eye Q score can be used as the basis for treating medical conditions. While there is a special FDA classification for Medical Foods, we do not currently certify such foods.

Can the Eye Q labeling be used on advertising as well as product packaging?

Yes, provided it does not violate any restriction mentioned above. Use of the certification mark that displays the Eye Q score for a currently certified food is always acceptable provided it does not create confusion for the consumer. The label option that does not indicate a specific Eye Q score may used to refer to the Eye Q certification program in general or it may be used to denote a certified food sold in bulk. For example, grocers may use the Eye Q certification mark on signage to draw attention to a selection of products or whole foods which are known to be certified. Similarly, reference to the Eye Q certification can be used in various forms of media advertizing (radio, tv, Internet, newspapers, etc.) provided it is clearly not associating certification to a specific food product that has not in fact undergone the certification process, or one that has failed to achieve an Eye Q score of at lest 100. If there is any doubt about proper use, please contact us and we can advise you.

Penalties for unauthorized use of the certification label.

The Eye Q label is licensed. Because the label signifies not only certification of a food product but it is also is a symbol intended to establish public trust in the science of food nutrition, we closely monitor unauthorized uses of the label on products being sold and in advertising. Any attempt to use the labeling to indicate certification of an uncertified product, alter the Eye Q score displayed on a label, or to use any form of forged certification labeling is a violation of federal trademark law and potentially other state and federal laws.