Evidence Before Story — the Four-Part Ledger

Overhead view of Maria's hands arranging four small ceramic bowls in terracotta, maize gold, herb green, and cacao beside a blank field notebook. AI-generated illustration. — AI-generated illustration — not a documentary photograph or verified specimen.

A story can sound precise, moving, and plausible without being established. This ledger keeps a beautiful possibility from quietly becoming a fact.

Verified means an appropriate accessible source directly supports the specific claim. It does not mean the entire surrounding story is proven.

Reported means a producer, label, organization, interview, or other named source made the claim. The attribution stays attached.

Inferred means documented context supports a reasoned estimate or interpretation. It remains an inference.

Unknown means evidence is absent, inaccessible, conflicting, or insufficient. Unknown is not a blank to decorate.

These are this page's editorial labels, not official regulatory categories. Their purpose is to keep product identity separate from lot or instance traceability and to keep required supply-chain records separate from what a consumer can actually see.

Save this key. When a future story feels certain, ask: what kind of certain?

Try it: Save the four labels and use them to question future claims.

Evidence in this journey

verifiedFDA defines required tracking events and data elements for foods covered by its traceability rule.
reportedThese four labels are this page's editorial framework, informed by GS1 and FDA distinctions.
unknownWhether a given consumer-facing claim maps to any official regulatory category.

Editorial labels, not regulatory classifications. How the ledger works.

Sources

Disclosure: Maria is fictional and AI-assisted. The image above is an AI-generated illustration; nothing pictured is a verified specimen, brand, origin, record, or outcome.