Trust model
Every useful fact needs a trail.
Help Find Food treats restaurant and program data as time-sensitive evidence. Publication, search, explanation, and action links all depend on that evidence state.
Evidence states
Verified
An approved source or reviewed merchant supplied the fact, and it is inside its freshness window.
Claimed
A source supplied the fact, but independent review or stronger corroboration is not complete.
Stale or disputed
The freshness window elapsed or credible sources conflict. The interface must warn or withhold it.
Unknown
No acceptable evidence exists. Unknown is displayed as unknown—not guessed from similar venues.
Ranking and money are separated
Organic relevance uses food intent, constraints, distance, quality, freshness, and diversity. Commercial tables and identifiers are excluded from that calculation. Sponsored candidates, if enabled after review, require a separate auction, label, frequency cap, and reporting surface.
Corrections do not silently rewrite history
Merchant and community corrections enter review. Accepted changes preserve source records and audit receipts; rejected or conflicting claims remain traceable for authorized operators.
Dietary and allergen safety
A dietary tag is not a medical guarantee. Help Find Food does not infer allergen safety from cuisine, photos, or a language model. Cross-contact and kitchen practices must be confirmed directly with the venue.