Asia Food Depot Ingredient Disclosure Standard
v1.0 · Updated 2026-06-19
Ingredient Disclosure Standard
A clean ingredient list, defined for the Asian kitchen.
IsClean = a short, honest ingredient list where every item is recognizable, transcribed word for word from the real package.
NotClean ≠ a health rating — we never score, rank, or grade your food.
We transcribe each product's full ingredient list, allergens, and country of origin word for word, straight from the manufacturer's physical package, verify its certifications, and publish them in both Chinese and English.
This standard certifies what we did — not whether the food is good or bad.
§1 Certification Criteria
The four standards for earning "Pantry Honest"
- 1The ingredient list is transcribed in full and checked item by item against the archived package photo.
- 2Allergens are declared, or noted as "not declared" per the label.
- 3Country of origin is recorded.
- 4Staff have verified it against the physical package.
The rules are uniform and identical for every product, with no per-item manual adjustment — by design.
§2 Factual Flagging
The ingredients we always flag, for you to judge
This is factual labeling, not judgment. Each item cites its regulatory basis.
Red 40 / Yellow 5 / Yellow 6 / Blue 1 / Red 3 — petroleum-based dyes, common in candy, snacks, and beverages. The FDA revoked Red 3 in January 2025 and will phase out six synthetic dyes by the end of 2026.
BHA / BHT / TBHQ — common in fried snacks and instant-noodle seasoning oils. BHA is listed by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
Aspartame / sucralose / acesulfame potassium — common in "sugar-free" beverages and snacks. Aspartame was classified by WHO/IARC as Group 2B (2023).
Flagged only when "HFCS" is explicitly stated on the label, never inferred from the word "fructose."
Used as a whitening agent; banned by the EU as a food additive since 2022.
Common in cured meats and pickled fish.
Such as "crab flavor" standing in for real crab (per 21 CFR 101.22 labeling rules).
§3 MSG & Traditional Fermentation
MSG & traditional fermentation, not on the list
MSG and time-honored fermentation are the foundation of Asian cooking. We show them as ordinary ingredients, exactly as they are, and they don't appear on the list above.
MSG is not an artificial additive: it is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, the very same molecule that delivers umami in tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and traditionally brewed soy sauce; the FDA has recognized it as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) since 1958. So-called "Chinese restaurant syndrome" traces back to a 1968 letter that has never been reproduced in double-blind trials; the International Headache Society removed MSG from its list of triggers in 2018.
The “Listed Honestly” list above covers only synthetic additives. MSG, traditional fermentation, degree of processing, and ingredient count aren't part of it — we neither list them there nor judge any product by them. A traditional XO sauce with 25 ingredients and a 3-ingredient snack are both shown here exactly as they are.
Also not on the list: naturally brewed soy sauce / fish sauce, doubanjiang / miso / soybean paste, traditional preservation such as salting, curing, and air-drying, and palm oil (listed honestly).
§4 How We Verify
Import batches change formulations — we re-verify and re-date on a regular schedule.
§5 Basis · Boundaries
Standards we align with
FDA GRAS determinations · FDA color additive rules (including the January 2025 revocation of Red 3) · synthetic dye phase-out by the end of 2026 · EFSA E-number framework · the FDA's nine major allergens.
What this standard does not do
It is a disclosure standard, not a safety or health rating. It reflects the manufacturer’s labeling as of the archived date; formulations change — defer to the physical package. Certifications are issued by third parties; we relay them faithfully. Products not yet entered are simply left blank, with no mark of any kind.
§6 Certification Seal
Pantry Honest™
It certifies one thing only: the ingredient list has been verified against the physical package and published faithfully.
Clean ingredients
Ingredients factually flagged
Pending entry · see the physical item
No letters, no scores, no traffic lights — just a neutral status.
Changes to the standard will be announced in advance and will not retroactively revoke certifications already granted.