Transparency Charter

Last updated: April 2026

Preamble

Darwin Nutrition is an independent media outlet providing information and comparisons about nutrition, dietary supplements, and food in general. We have existed since 2019, and our mission is to help our readers make informed choices in a field where information is often confusing, contradictory, or commercially biased.

We publish in-depth articles on nutrition (which make up the majority of our site), product and service comparisons in the food sector, and occasionally clearly identified sponsored articles. We have published a book (Beneficial Foods), we produce a podcast (Food Revolutions), and we have carried out several surveys with IFOP that have been commented on by many media outlets.

Like any online media outlet, Darwin Nutrition must be funded. We have chosen complete transparency about our sources of revenue, our working methods, and the limits of what we offer. That is the purpose of this charter.

Here you will find in detail: who we are, how we work, how we make money, how we ensure that our content remains independent, and what you can expect from us — and not expect.

If any question remains unanswered after reading, write to us at contact@darwin-nutrition.fr: we commit to replying.

1. Our editorial status

Darwin Nutrition is an information and comparison media outlet. We are not an online store: we do not sell any products, either directly or indirectly.

When you read a comparison on Darwin Nutrition, you are consulting an editorial analysis produced by our team, with the contribution of qualified professionals. If you decide to buy a product we mention, you do so through the merchant site to which we redirect you (the brand itself, Amazon, an online pharmacy, etc.).

This distinction is not just a formality: it has practical consequences for you.

The sales contract is concluded between you and the merchant site, never with Darwin Nutrition. This means that:

the prices are set freely by the seller and may change without notice;
the shipping fees, payment methods, and delivery times are the seller’s responsibility;
the right of withdrawal (14 days in most cases), the legal warranty, after-sales service, and the handling of any complaint are solely the seller’s responsibility;
the full contractual information (prices including all taxes, shipping fees, withdrawal terms) is provided to you on the seller’s site before your purchase.

Our role is limited to information and recommendation. We always invite you to check the exact terms on the seller’s site at the time of your purchase.

Under French regulations, some Darwin Nutrition pages — in particular structured comparisons with product rankings — may be qualified as online comparison services within the meaning of the Consumer Code (Articles L.111-7 and D.111-10 to D.111-13). We therefore apply the transparency information obligations provided for by this regulation, the essentials of which are set out in this charter.

2. Our team and our experts

Darwin Nutrition is based on two complementary pillars: an in-house editorial team and a network of independent experts.

The in-house editorial team defines the site’s editorial direction, chooses the topics covered, oversees the comparison methodologies, participates in drafting certain comparisons and articles, and coordinates publications. It also handles the site’s administrative and commercial aspects.

Our experts are qualified professionals (dietitians-nutritionists, doctors of pharmacy, physicians, agricultural engineers, veterinarians depending on the topic). They work as freelancers, paid per article or comparison.

They are not interested in the revenue generated by the comparisons or articles they contribute to: their compensation is fixed, independent of the sales or clicks that result afterward from their work.

The profiles and qualifications of our experts can be found on the « About Us » page of our site.

3. How we select the products compared

For each comparison, we establish a selection of products according to an editorial approach.

Main selection criterion: market presence. We prioritize products that appear to us to be the most widely distributed in France, identified using several converging indicators:

brands that appear on the first pages of search engines for the main queries;
products with the highest number of reviews on major sales platforms (especially Amazon);
market monitoring carried out by our team and our experts;
the emergence of significant new products or emerging brands (especially French ones) that we believe deserve to be analyzed.

The goal is to assemble a representative sample of what a French consumer is likely to encounter in their search, not an exhaustive sample of the entire market. Our comparisons are not exhaustive: we always mention this at the top of each one, and we indicate the exact number of brands or references analyzed.

Independence of selection from affiliate relationships. A brand may be included in a Darwin Nutrition comparison whether or not it has an active affiliate program with us. Conversely, a brand with which we have an affiliate partnership is not necessarily included in a comparison: if its product does not seem relevant to us or has substantial shortcomings (questionable composition, noncompliant claims, repeated reports, insufficient quality), we reserve the right not to include it, or to remove it from an existing comparison.

When a brand ranks well in our comparisons, and we are not partners, we generally contact it to establish an affiliate partnership. If that is not possible, we can in any case become affiliated through Amazon if the product is listed on that marketplace.

In practical terms, our comparisons may include both products from brands with which we are affiliated, and products from brands with which we are not. This is an essential condition of our independence.

4. How we evaluate and rank products and services

Our evaluation methodology is defined step by step and before any detailed review of the products, which in our view is the best safeguard against any subsequent bias.

Step 1: defining the methodology. For each comparison, the Darwin Nutrition editorial team establishes a methodological framework with the help of an expert: which evaluation criteria will be retained, how they will be measured, and which sub-scores will determine the overall score.

Step 2: analyzing the products according to the established grid. Once the methodology is fixed, and only then, the products in the panel are analyzed according to the grid. For comparisons of dietary supplements and weight-loss programs, the analysis and scoring are carried out by Darwin Nutrition according to the methodology defined with the expert. For other comparisons (pet food, unregulated food, training, etc.), the analysis is carried out directly by the expert himself.

Step 3: writing. The author (Darwin Nutrition for some comparisons, the expert for others, or both) writes the comparison based on the analyses produced.

The scoring grid is fixed before the analysis and cannot be modified afterward to favor or disadvantage a product.

Objective criteria and qualitative criteria. Our evaluations distinguish two types of criteria:

the objective criteria, which are measurable and verifiable: for example nutritional values, presence or absence of additives, origin of raw materials, certifications, price per kilo or per serving, etc.;
the subjective criteria, which involve an element of judgment: for example the quality of the website interface, customer service experience, label readability, taste, texture, etc.;

When criteria such as taste or texture are evaluated, we purchase the products concerned in order to test them. For other dimensions, the evaluation is based on documentary analysis (composition, labeling, manufacturer data, customer service channels…).

5. Data Sources and Update Frequency

Product data sources. The compositions, nutritional values, ingredients, and technical characteristics of the compared products come mainly from the official brand websites and their product sheets. We cross-check this source with the product’s physical labeling when we purchase it.

Price sources. The prices shown in our comparisons are taken from the official brand websites, on the date indicated on the page, at the beginning of the methodology. They may differ from prices charged by other retailers (Amazon, drugstores, specialized distributors), and they may change after the date they were recorded. Always check the current price on the seller’s website before making any purchase.

Update frequency. Our comparisons are updated case by case, rather than on a fixed schedule. We are a small team and cannot ensure regular updates for all comparisons.

Date display. On each comparison, we display:

the date of the last editorial update (below the title);
the date of the last price and composition check (at the beginning of the methodology).

These two dates may therefore differ.

6. Our business model

Darwin Nutrition is funded by three sources of revenue, in very different proportions.

1. Affiliate marketing, which makes up the vast majority of our revenue. When a reader clicks on a “See the price” link and then buys a product on the seller’s website, Darwin Nutrition receives a commission on that purchase. This commission is paid by the merchant (through specialized platforms such as Awin, Amazon Associates, or directly by contract with the brand). It adds no extra cost to you: the price you pay is exactly the same as if you had reached the seller’s website without going through Darwin Nutrition.

We currently have active affiliate agreements with around a hundred brands and merchants. All our comparison charts include affiliate links. Commission rates vary by brand (from a few percent to several dozen percent depending on the sector), but this variation has no influence on the product ratings in our comparisons. A brand that paid us a commission twice as high as another would not therefore receive a better overall rating.

2. Sponsored articles, which account for a smaller but real share of our revenue. These are editorial pieces paid for by a brand. Their operation is detailed in the next section, and they are always identified as such.

Our commitment. Funding through affiliate marketing and sponsorship is a deliberate choice: it allows us to keep access to the site completely free, with no paywall or subscription, and no advertising banners whatsoever (to date). In return, we commit to ensuring that this funding never compromises the integrity of our editorial content. That is the purpose of the rules described in the next section.

7. How we separate editorial and commercial content

Darwin Nutrition is a small team, and we would not pretend to have “separate floors” between editorial and sales. However, roles are clearly assigned, and our processes ensure that editorial decisions are made on editorial criteria, independently of commercial relationships.

Three principles structure our editorial independence:

No advertiser has any say over the content of our comparisons or our advice articles. The brands with which we have affiliate agreements never receive our comparisons before publication, are not consulted on their ranking, and cannot request any changes. This rule admits no exceptions.
The scoring grid is defined before the products are analyzed, and cannot be changed afterward to favor one brand or penalize another. This rule applies to all of our comparisons.
We reserve the right to exclude or remove from a comparison any product that presents substantial defects (questionable composition, noncompliant claims, repeated reports), whether or not it is a partner-brand product.

8. Sponsored articles

A minority of our content consists of sponsored articles: editorial content whose production is financed by a brand. These articles follow rules that differ from the site’s other content, and we want this difference to be perfectly clear to you.

Identification. Every sponsored article is identified as such with a visible notice “Sponsored Content” placed below the title, in a separate box. This notice also appears in the listings where the article is referenced (home page, category pages). Under no circumstances is a sponsored article presented as neutral editorial content.

Origin of topics. Topics for sponsored articles may be proposed by the advertiser or by Darwin Nutrition. In all cases, the topic must be approved by our editorial team as consistent with our standards and useful for our female and male readers.

Writing. Sponsored articles are written by our expert authors, according to our editorial standards. We do not accept publishing simple promotional texts provided ready-made by a brand.

Advertiser approval. Unlike our editorial content, sponsored articles are subject to approval by the advertiser before publication. That is precisely why they are identified as “sponsored”: the brand participates in defining the framework, may request wording adjustments, and approves the final content. This approval remains governed by our ethical requirements: we reject any excessive wording, any claim that does not comply with regulations on dietary supplements, and any therapeutic promise.

Distinction from comparatives and editorial articles. This advertiser validation rule applies only to sponsored articles, and to them alone. For our comparatives, our editorial articles, and all of our unsponsored editorial content, no advertiser has any right of review, approval, or modification. This boundary is central to how we operate.

9. Purchases through our links: your contractual relationship

When you click on a “See the price” button or on a product link in a Darwin Nutrition comparison, you leave our site and are redirected to a third-party seller’s website (the brand itself or a reseller).

Darwin Nutrition is not a party to the sales contract. We do not sell any products, we do not collect any payment from you, and we do not process any orders. Our role ends with the redirection.

The seller freely sets:

the total price including all taxes at the time of your purchase (which may differ from the indicative price we recorded) ;
the shipping costs and delivery times ;
the accepted payment methods ;
the conditions for the right of withdrawal (within the minimum period of 14 days provided for by French and European regulations for distance selling) ;
the legal warranty and after-sales service terms ;
the handling of any complaint or possible dispute.

All complete contractual information is provided to you on the seller’s website before your order is confirmed. We encourage you to check it carefully.

In the event of a dispute with a seller after a purchase made through one of our links, Darwin Nutrition cannot intervene in resolving the dispute: the relationship is between you and the merchant. However, we may be informed of your experience and take it into account in our future comparisons (see section 11).

10. Our independence from laboratories and brands

Darwin Nutrition has no equity ties with any brand or dietary supplement laboratory. No advertiser, no supplier, and no business partner holds any stake in the company that publishes Darwin Nutrition (the SAS 2SEMAINES).

Our experts receive no direct or indirect compensation through us from the brands we compare. Affiliate commissions are paid to Darwin Nutrition (the company), and not to the authors or experts personally.

We commit to publicly mentioning, in the relevant content, any conflict of interest that may arise in the future between Darwin Nutrition and a brand being compared.

11. Report an error or an adverse effect

Nutrition and dietary supplements are fields where information evolves, formulations change, and no one is immune to an error. We take feedback from our readers very seriously, whether it concerns:

a factual error in one of our pieces of content (incorrectly transcribed composition, outdated price, inaccurate nutritional information, incorrect source);
an adverse effect observed following the consumption of a dietary supplement that we mentioned or recommended;
a complaint about the quality of a product you purchased through one of our links.

For any report, write to us at contact@darwin-nutrition.fr and specify:

the URL of the relevant article or comparison;
the specific nature of your report;
any useful document or information (photo of the label, screenshot, product reference, etc.).

We commit to acknowledging receipt of your message within a few business days and to responding, after verification, within a reasonable timeframe. If your report reveals an error on our part, we correct the relevant content and indicate the correction date.

Nutrivigilance. If you suspect an adverse effect linked to the consumption of a dietary supplement, independently of Darwin Nutrition, you can also report it directly to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), via its nutrivigilance portal. This approach contributes to collective safety and enables health authorities to identify emerging risks.

12. Commitments and limitations

We would like to remind you what reading Darwin Nutrition gives you, and what it does not replace.

What we offer:

carefully prepared information, developed with qualified professionals;
structured comparative analyses, methodologically explicit, and revised over time;
transparency about our sources, our methods, our limitations, and our sources of revenue.

What we do not offer and do not claim to be:

our content does not have the value of an individual medical consultation and does not replace the advice of a health professional who knows your particular situation (medical history, current treatments, physiological state);
the dietary supplements we compare do not replace a varied and balanced diet, nor a medical treatment;
our analyses are not exhaustive: our comparisons are based on limited panels of products, not on the entire market;
our data may contain errors or be out of date: we strive to maintain a high level of quality, but we cannot guarantee perfect accuracy at all times, and that is one of the reasons we systematically indicate the dates when our data was collected.

Before taking any dietary supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, are currently taking medication, or if you are a child or teenager, consult a healthcare professional.

13. Changes to this policy

This policy is a living document. It may evolve to reflect changes in our practices, in our organization, in applicable regulations, or to improve clarity on points that we believe deserve to be clarified.

The last updated date is shown at the top of this page. We invite you to check back periodically.

If you have any questions or comments about this policy, write to us at contact@darwin-nutrition.fr.

Darwin Nutrition is published by SAS 2SEMAINES. For legal information, see our legal notices.