Using Food Intelligence™, the world’s first open data platform for food truth, WISEcode invites scientists, developers, and citizens worldwide to build a universal definition of ultra-processed foods.

WISEcode™, the company pioneering Food Intelligence for an AI world, today announced the $200,000 UPF Code Hack™, a first-of-its-kind global challenge inviting scientists, developers, and citizens to help define what it means for food to be ultra-processed. Inspired by the recent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and HHS Request for Information (RFI) to formally define 'ultra-processed foods,' WISEcode is leading the effort to create an open, data-driven, and practical standard the world can use immediately.

“The world hasn’t been able to define UPF. WISEcode has,” said Peter Castleman, founder of WISEcode. “We have already built the UPF Code™ tool. Now we’re inviting everyone to make it better and bring truth and clarity to what we eat. Our mission is simple: to unlock food transparency, knowledge, and power for all to access. Identifying UPF is fundamental to helping people make informed food decisions. We welcome the world into our open Food Intelligence Platform™ and will give the winning UPF Code to HHS, FDA, USDA, and the world to use immediately.”

A Global Invitation to Build the UPF Code

The UPF Code Hack™ challenges participants to create and refine definitions of ultra-processed foods using WISEcode’s Food Intelligence Platform™, the most comprehensive food data system in existence, with over 750,000 foods and 10 billion nutritional attributes. WISEcode expects approximately 30 teams, including early participants from three of the world’s leading nutrition research institutions.

Teams and individuals can register now at www.wisecode.ai. The UPF Code Hack is running now through mid-December, after which expert and AI judging will select the top five Codes for integration into the WISEcode app in early January and public voting from mid-January to mid-February. Consumers, including everyday moms and dads, will select the UPF Code they find most relevant and useful. The top teams will share $200,000 in prizes, and the winning model will power the free consumer app, The UPF Code™, available to the world immediately.

Introducing CodeBuilder™

At the heart of the UPF Code Hack is CodeBuilder™, WISEcode’s simple AI-assisted tool that makes everyone a coder. Participants can create, test, and publish their own UPF Codes using the same data and intelligence that power WISEcode itself. This democratizes innovation, moving from a company-created model to a user-created one, and accelerating the discovery of better tools and insights for all.

A Movement for Food Truth

The UPF Code Hack™ embodies WISEcode’s mission to return truth and power to the people through Food Intelligence. WISEcode’s platform already powers over 30 active Codes addressing critical questions about food, from banned ingredients, seed oils, and artificial additives to protein quality, sugar and fiber density, and health outcomes like heart health and diabetes. Each Code transforms complex data into simple clarity, helping people understand what they eat, how it affects them, and how to live stronger, healthier, and longer lives.

“WISEcode welcomes the world to contribute to its Food Intelligence Platform™ as users, creators, and beneficiaries of the food transparency revolution,” said Tolga Erdogus, Chief Technology Officer. “Whether you’re a scientist advancing nutritional research, an LLM delivering more accurate answers, a retailer improving product quality, or a CPG company connecting authentically with consumers, all are welcome. Together, we can unlock the potential of the human body and mind, helping people live healthier, longer, and freer lives.”

About WISEcode™

WISEcode™ is the world’s first Food Intelligence Platform™, transforming raw food data into Codes: AI-powered insights that reveal the truth within food, its ingredients, nutrition, and effects on our bodies and minds. Through its open developer ecosystem, including CodeBuilder™, Code Exchange™, and the MCP Server™, WISEcode democratizes food knowledge, empowering everyone to participate in the pursuit of food truth. Its ultimate goal: to unlock food transparency, knowledge, and power for the world, for all to access.

Truth in Every Bite™

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