Methodology

How we grade the evidence

Every attribution on this site carries two separate grades: an evidence tier (how strong the underlying source is) and a status (how sure we are of the maker). They are different axes — a source can be high-tier yet indirect, or low-tier yet name a maker outright. Here is the rubric, and the language it holds us to.

The six evidence tiers

Best evidence first. The tier grades the source, not our confidence.

T1Court / regulatory records. CourtListener + RECAP dockets, FTC and SEC filings.

T2Recall notices naming co-packers. FDA, FSIS, and CPSC recall records.

T3Deterministic plant / registration codes. USDA establishment numbers, FDA IMS dairy codes, TTB COLA/DSP, NDC labeler codes, the USGA conforming-ball list, API oil licensees.

T4On-label co-brands & first-party statements. Label text, earnings calls, major-press reporting, Costco’s own category help pages.

T5Customs / import data. ImportYeti bills of lading. Costco masks many shipments through freight forwarders, so absence proves nothing.

T6Community rumor. Reddit, ex-employee claims, side-by-side teardowns. Displayed, but always badged unverified and never used in a fact sentence.

How status maps to language

Status follows the source, and the wording follows the status. A claim is only confirmed when a tier 1–4 source directly names the maker for that exact product; probable when the evidence is strong but indirect; rumored when only tier 6 community reporting exists; and unknown when nothing at tiers 1–5 holds up. These four phrasings are the only ones we use:

Confirmed

“is manufactured by X, per [the recall notice / TTB record / court filing]” — a plain statement, always with the source.

Probable

“evidence indicates / points to X” — never “is made by X” as a bare fact.

Rumored

“is rumored (unverified) to be made by X” — shown, but never stated as the maker in a heading or fact sentence.

Unknown

“no reliable public evidence identifies the manufacturer” — no guessing, and no company named.

Corrections policy

We would rather be corrected than wrong. Substantiated corrections are made promptly, and the change is noted in the change log with its date — the same record we keep for every supplier switch.

Spot an error or have a primary source we missed? Email hello@whoreallymakes.com with the product and the source, and we’ll verify it.