Amla — amlascan.com · Last updated: 11 August 2026
This is a working draft, not a substitute for legal advice. Full solicitor review is planned once the product shows market traction — see the internal decision log for the reasoning and the sections flagged for priority review.
These Terms set out the basis on which we offer Amla, and what you can and can't expect from us. Please read them before using the app.
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the Amla mobile application and amlascan.com (together, the “Service”), operated by The Nirvanist LLP, a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales under company number OC460620, with registered office at 128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom, trading as Amla (“Amla,” “we,” “us,” “our”).
By downloading, accessing, or using Amla, you (“you,” “user”) agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
Amla is a barcode-scanning application that displays product information and a composite score for food and cosmetic products, derived from Nutri-Score and NOVA — two independent, publicly published, peer-reviewed classification systems — combined with additional criteria described in our methodology.
Amla is an information tool, not a testing laboratory, regulator, or certification body. We do not manufacture, test, inspect, or certify any product. We aggregate and present publicly available product data (principally sourced from Open Food Facts) and apply published scoring methodologies to it.
3.1 You must be able to form a binding agreement under the law of your country of residence to use the Service. Amla is not directed at children; if you are under the age required in your jurisdiction to use apps of this kind without parental consent, please use Amla only with a parent or guardian's involvement.
3.2 Core scanning and scoring features do not currently require an account. If account functionality is introduced, you are responsible for keeping your credentials confidential and for activity under your account.
3.3 We may suspend or restrict access for any breach of these Terms, fraudulent use, or misuse of the Service.
This section is central to how Amla operates, and we ask you to read it carefully.
4.1 Amla's product scores are derived by mechanically applying Nutri-Score, a nutrient-profiling methodology developed and maintained by independent public health researchers and adopted by public health authorities in multiple countries, and NOVA, a food-processing classification system developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo and published in peer-reviewed literature. Neither system was created, owned, or is controlled by Amla.
4.2 Where Amla applies an additional score adjustment — for example, reflecting a classification issued by the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), or an equivalent recognised public health or regulatory body — that adjustment reflects the published finding or classification of that independent body, not Amla's own scientific judgment or opinion about any ingredient, product, or manufacturer.
4.3 Amla acts as an aggregator and calculator applying these third-party, publicly published methodologies and classifications to publicly available product data. We do not originate the underlying scientific or regulatory findings that a score reflects. If you have a genuine dispute with the substance of a scientific finding or classification that affects a score (for example, a specific IARC carcinogen classification, or the Nutri-Score or NOVA methodology itself), that dispute concerns the originating body or research institution responsible for that finding or methodology, not Amla. We are glad to correct any score that results from a genuine data error or mechanical misapplication of a published methodology — see Section 9 (Corrections & Disputes) — but a disagreement with the underlying published science itself is not something Amla can resolve or is responsible for.
4.4 Product data (ingredients, nutrition facts, product images) is sourced primarily from Open Food Facts, a collaborative open database, and supplemented by our own research. Amla does not independently verify every data point against physical product packaging in every instance, and product formulations can change after data was last recorded. If you believe product data is outdated or incorrect, please report it — see Section 9.
5.1 Amla is an independent, non-biased information provider. It is not a medical practitioner, dietitian, nutritionist, or healthcare provider, and nothing in the Service constitutes medical, dietary, or health advice.
5.2 Scores, nutrition information, additive flags, and any dietary-filter features (e.g., allergen or dietary-pattern indicators) are provided for general informational purposes only, to help you make more informed choices — they are not a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation, or a personalised assessment of your health, allergies, or medical conditions.
5.3 You must always prioritise the advice of your doctor, dietitian, or other qualified healthcare professional over any information shown in Amla, particularly regarding allergies, intolerances, diabetes, pregnancy, or any other medical condition. Do not use Amla as a substitute for professional medical advice, and do not disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of something you saw in the app.
5.4 If you have a medical condition, allergy, or dietary restriction, you are responsible for verifying product suitability directly — including by reading the physical product label and consulting a qualified professional — before consumption or use. Amla's information may be incomplete, outdated, or subject to the data limitations described in Section 4.4, and must never be your sole basis for a decision with health consequences.
6.1 Core scanning and scoring is free. Where premium features (such as additional dietary filters) are introduced, pricing and terms will be described in the app before purchase.
6.2 Prices are shown in the app before purchase. The relevant app store's payment processor, not Amla, processes payment details; we do not store your full payment card details.
6.3 Cancellation and refunds for any subscription are governed by the subscription mechanics of the app store (Apple App Store or Google Play) through which you subscribed, as much as by these Terms.
7.1 The Amla name, logo, app design, original written content, and our specific scoring implementation (the code and precise weighting/threshold logic we apply — as distinct from the underlying public Nutri-Score/NOVA methodologies themselves) are owned by Amla and protected by applicable intellectual property law.
7.2 Nutri-Score and NOVA are independent, publicly published methodologies; Amla does not claim ownership of them, and this Section does not restrict anyone's ability to independently apply those public methodologies.
7.3 Product names, brand names, logos, and trademarks displayed within the Service belong to their respective owners and are shown solely to identify and provide information about the product in question (nominative fair use) — not to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation between Amla and the product's manufacturer.
You agree not to: (a) misrepresent Amla's scores or data as your own or as an official certification; (b) scrape, systematically extract, or reverse-engineer the Service beyond normal personal use; (c) use the Service to harass or defame any individual or company; (d) upload false or malicious data if user-contribution features are introduced; or (e) otherwise misuse the Service in a way that could damage its integrity or availability.
9.1 If you believe a specific product's data is outdated, mismatched, or contains a genuine mechanical error in applying our published methodology, please report it at support@amlascan.com with the product's barcode and a description of the issue. We investigate reported errors in good faith and correct them where warranted.
9.2 As set out in Section 4.3, a report disputing the underlying scientific finding, regulatory classification, or the Nutri-Score/NOVA methodology itself (rather than a data or calculation error) will be acknowledged, but Amla is not the appropriate party to resolve a dispute with the substance of third-party published science — such a dispute should be directed to the originating research body or regulatory authority.
9.3 Manufacturers or brand representatives who believe a product is misclassified are welcome to contact us with supporting technical documentation (e.g., full ingredient list, official nutrition panel); we will review in good faith on the same basis as any other correction request.
10.1 The Service is provided “as is” and “as available.” To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Amla disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
10.2 We do not warrant that scores are error-free, that product data is current, or that the Service will be uninterrupted or secure. Product formulations, ingredients, and availability change; a score reflects the data available to Amla at the time it was last processed and may not reflect the current formulation of a physical product you are holding.
10.3 Nothing in this Section excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.
11.1 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under English law.
11.2 Subject to clause 11.1, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Amla's total liability to you arising out of or related to the Service — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise — is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid Amla in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) a nominal amount to be confirmed with counsel, since core use of the Service is free.
11.3 Amla is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss, including loss arising from reliance on Service information in place of professional medical, dietary, or health advice, or from a product's actual formulation differing from the data shown at the time of your scan.
11.4 Where a score reflects a third-party methodology or classification as described in Section 4, Amla's liability (if any) for that component of the score is limited to Amla's own act of applying that methodology to available data — not to the underlying scientific or regulatory determination itself, responsibility for which rests with the originating body.
You agree to indemnify and hold Amla harmless against reasonable losses, costs, and claims arising from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or a decision you made in reliance on Service information in place of professional medical, dietary, or health advice contrary to Section 5 — except to the extent caused by Amla's own breach or negligence.
13.1 Amla's scores and additive/processing classifications reflect the mechanical application of published, publicly available methodologies and regulatory/scientific classifications to publicly available product data, provided as our good-faith, factual, and non-commercial assessment of publicly available information — not a statement of opinion about, or disparagement of, any manufacturer or brand.
13.2 If a manufacturer or supplier believes a score or classification is inaccurate, the process in Section 9 is the appropriate route to raise and resolve that concern before pursuing any other action.
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service for material breach of these Terms, subject to giving reasonable notice and an opportunity to remedy the breach where appropriate.
We may update these Terms to reflect changes in the Service or the law. The “last updated” date above will change accordingly; for material changes, we will provide a more prominent notice (e.g., an in-app or website banner).
16.1 These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or the Service (including non-contractual disputes or claims), are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of England and Wales.
16.2 Arbitration. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in London, England, under rules to be confirmed with counsel, by a sole arbitrator, with the seat of arbitration in England and Wales and the proceedings conducted in English. The arbitration award shall be final and binding on both parties.
16.3 Consumer protections preserved. If you are a consumer resident in the UK, EU, or another jurisdiction with mandatory consumer protections that cannot be excluded by agreement, nothing in this Section 16 deprives you of protections you are entitled to under the mandatory laws of your country of residence, including, where applicable, your right to bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence instead of arbitration.
16.4 Class action waiver. To the extent permitted by applicable law, any arbitration or proceeding will be conducted on an individual basis and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action.
16.5 We aim to resolve concerns directly first — please contact us at support@amlascan.com before initiating formal proceedings, so we have the opportunity to address the issue.
The Nirvanist LLP, trading as Amla
128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom
Email: support@amlascan.com
Amla