Rating Benchmarks

How A-E ratings are derived from real-world consumption data

Ratings reflect a recipe's environmental performance relative to average Swiss consumption. Each metric (climate, water, nutrition) uses an independent benchmark derived from sold-portion-weighted averages across a large restaurant panel. A rating of C represents average performance; A represents a science-based target of 50% below the benchmark.

CO2 Climate

3,289

g CO2eq / DFU

Per Food Unit: 657.8 g CO2/FU

Rating	Threshold
A	≤ 1,644
B	≤ 3,289
C	≤ 6,578
D	≤ 13,156
E	> 13,156

Science-based target: A = 50% reduction

H2O Water Scarcity

106.93

L scarce water eq / DFU

Per Food Unit: 21.91 L/FU

Rating	Threshold
A	≤ 106.93
B	≤ 213.85
C	≤ 427.70
D	≤ 1,237.10
E	> 1,237.10

Sample: 1,738,698 delivery rows, 108 kitchens, 2019–2021

V Vita-Score (Nutrition)

336

points / DFU

Sample: 6,067 recipes (FU-weighted)

Rating	Threshold
A	≤ 270
B	≤ 340
C	≤ 410
D	≤ 450
E	> 450

Lower is better (Vita-Score inverts Nutri-Score)

Visual Reference

Climate Rating Scale

The rating scale for CO2, showing how thresholds divide the performance range. The benchmark (B/C boundary at 3,289 g/DFU) is the consumption-weighted mean of the 2026-08 kitchen benchmark on the Swiss inventory basis, VpF unit.

≤ 1,644 ≤ 3,289 ≤ 6,578 ≤ 13,156 > 13,156

Values in g CO2eq/DFU (VpF unit). The B/C boundary at 3,289 equals the consumption-weighted benchmark.

Data Foundation

Data Coverage

Benchmarks are derived from a large observational dataset of actual restaurant consumption in Switzerland and the EU.

Restaurants

~150

Non-participating, contract catering

Observation Period

3 years

2019-2021

Recipe Observations

~194,000

Unique recipe-day combinations

Weighting

Sold portions

Actual consumption, not planned

Region

CH / EU

Switzerland & EU restaurant mix

Methodology

How Benchmarks Are Calculated

Daily Food Unit (DFU) is a standardized unit representing one person's daily food intake — the VpF form, whose five denominators all derive from one reference person (WHO/FAO 60 kg adult, 2,000 kcal/day). It is calculated as a 5-component average:

DFU = average( protein/50g, fat/66g, rest_energy/5076kJ, water/2500g, dry_weight/325g )
rest_energy = energy − 17×protein − 37×fat dry_weight = mass − water − protein − fat

Each component normalizes a nutritional dimension to its daily reference value. Rest-energy and dry weight both strip protein and fat symmetrically, so those two macronutrients are counted exactly once; the 325 g dry-weight reference is the reference person's macro-stripped daily dry matter (carbohydrate 289 g + fibre 25 g + ash 11 g). The engine's exported Food Unit is the sum of the five components — exactly 5× the DFU — which is why per-FU figures on this page equal the per-DFU figure divided by five. The DFU ensures fair comparison across food types with different nutritional profiles.

Benchmark calculation: For each metric, the benchmark equals the consumption-weighted average — total impact divided by total DFU delivered — across the observation set. The 2026-08 benchmark is measured on real purchasing data: 108 kitchens, three years (2019–2021), 1,738,698 delivery rows on the Swiss (UVEK/BAFU) inventory basis, with the DFU of every row recomputed from its own declared nutrients under the VpF unit.

Rating thresholds for CO2 are derived from the benchmark using fixed multipliers: A ≤ 0.5×, B ≤ 1.0× (benchmark), C ≤ 2.0×, D ≤ 4.0×, E > 4.0×. Water thresholds use the ladder its published values actually follow — A ≤ 1.0× (benchmark), B ≤ 2.0×, C ≤ 4.0×, D ≤ 11.57× — a correction to this page, which previously described water with the CO2 multipliers while displaying the 1/2/4× ladder. Vita-Score thresholds are derived from FU-weighted percentiles: A = benchmark × 0.80 (~P10), B = benchmark (~P50), C = P80 (worst 20%), D = P90 (worst 10%).

EmpCo Scheme Document

2026-08 Update

Threshold Changes

The 2026-08 recalculation changes two things at once, and the decomposition is published so neither hides behind the other: (1) the LCI basis moves from ecoinvent to the open Swiss (UVEK/BAFU) inventory and the observation set to real purchasing data (108 kitchens, 2019–2021, 1,738,698 delivery rows); (2) the Daily Food Unit moves to the VpF form (single 2,000 kcal reference frame). For CO2: basis+observation-set −8.5% (3,728 → 3,412 on the previous unit), then the unit change −3.6% (3,412 → 3,289), total −11.8%. The unit step is a change of denominator, not of any food's measured emissions. Vita-Score is carried over unchanged pending a recompute on its own 6,067-recipe sample.

Climate (CO2)

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	3,728	3,289	−11.8%
A ≤	1,864	1,644	−11.8%
B ≤	3,728	3,289	−11.8%
C ≤	7,456	6,578	−11.8%
D ≤	14,911	13,156	−11.8%

Unit: g CO2eq/DFU (VpF). Multipliers unchanged (0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4×). Decomposition: basis+set −8.5%, unit −3.6%.

Water Scarcity

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	109.56	106.93	−2.4%
A ≤	109.56	106.93	−2.4%
B ≤	219.12	213.85	−2.4%
C ≤	438.23	427.70	−2.4%
D ≤	1,267.58	1,237.10	−2.4%

Unit: L scarce water/DFU (VpF). Multipliers unchanged (1×, 2×, 4×, 11.57×). Near-stable across the basis and unit change.

Vita-Score (Nutrition)

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	336	336	carried over
A ≤	270	270	carried over
B ≤	340	340	carried over
C ≤	410	410	carried over
D ≤	450	450	carried over

Unit: points/DFU. Unchanged from 2026-03 — its 6,067-recipe sample is not in the kitchen exports; recompute under VpF pending.

Previous — 2026-03 Update

The prior recalculation, retained for the record: benchmarks from 194,260 recipe observations (CO2, Water) and 6,067 recipes (Vita-Score), on the previous inventory basis and DFU form.

Climate (CO2)

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	3,894	3,728	−4.3%
A ≤	1,947	1,864	−4.3%
B ≤	3,894	3,728	−4.3%
C ≤	7,788	7,456	−4.3%
D ≤	15,576	14,911	−4.3%

Unit: g CO2eq/DFU. Multipliers unchanged (0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4×).

Water Scarcity

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	91.57	109.56	+19.6%
A ≤	91.57	109.56	+19.6%
B ≤	183.13	219.12	+19.6%
C ≤	366.26	438.23	+19.6%
D ≤	1,059.42	1,267.58	+19.6%

Unit: L scarce water/DFU. Increase due to improved water imputation.

Vita-Score (Nutrition)

	Previous	Current	Change
Benchmark	340	336	−1.2%
A ≤	280	270	−3.6%
B ≤	340	340	—
C ≤	420	410	−2.4%
D ≤	468	450	−3.8%

Unit: points/DFU. Thresholds recalculated from FU-weighted percentiles (6,067 recipes).

Changelog

Benchmark Update History

2026-08 Benchmarks recalculated on the open Swiss (UVEK/BAFU) inventory basis and the VpF Daily Food Unit (single 2,000 kcal frame; rest-energy/5,076 kJ, macro-stripped dry weight/325 g). CO2 3,289 g/DFU (from 3,728; basis+set −8.5%, unit −3.6%). Water 106.93 L/DFU (−2.4%). Vita-Score carried over pending recompute. Sample: 1,738,698 delivery rows, 108 kitchens, 2019–2021. Note: ratings compared against these thresholds must use VpF-computed DFU values — per-DFU figures from the previous unit are not comparable.
2026-03 Benchmarks recalculated with updated data export. CO2 reduced to 3,728 g/DFU (from 3,894). Water updated to 109.56 L/DFU (+19.6%) with improved water imputation. Vita-Score thresholds recalculated from FU-weighted percentiles (6,067 recipes): A≤270, C≤410, D≤450. Sample: 194,260 recipes (CO2/Water), 6,067 recipes (Vita).
2024-07 Vita-Score recalculated with 24,540 recipes
2022-08 Water scarcity benchmarks updated with 3-year data
2021-05 CO2 benchmark established (797.45 g/FU)