Caselog Methodology

How we source, classify, and publish brand compliance records.

Sourcing standard v1.0 · Last updated 2026-04-15

What the Caselog is

The Evident Caselog is a neutral, public record of documented events related to health brand compliance. It aggregates regulatory actions, consumer complaints, independent lab findings, and testing gaps into a single, browsable database.

Every entry is dated, source-backed, and independently verifiable. Clean records are documented too — if we found nothing in public records, we say so explicitly.

What the Caselog is not

  • Not editorial judgment. We do not characterize events as “good” or “bad.” We report what was filed, tested, or disclosed.
  • Not an implication of guilt. A class action filing is a legal allegation, not a proven fact. A Prop 65 notice is a regulatory action, not a health verdict. We label events precisely.
  • Not a substitute for medical advice. Nothing in the Caselog constitutes health guidance. Consult a healthcare professional for product decisions.

Sourcing standards

Primary sources required

Every event must link to at least one primary source: a regulatory filing, court document, lab report, or official brand statement. News articles alone are insufficient — they must point to an underlying document.

Accessed dates tracked

Every source URL includes the date it was last accessed. Web content changes — this timestamp lets readers (and us) know when the source was verified.

Archived snapshots encouraged

Where possible, we link to archived versions (archive.org, Wayback Machine) to prevent link rot and ensure verifiability over time.

Factual language only

Summaries use neutral, factual language. We say “class action filed alleging...” not “brand caught doing...” We describe what was reported, not what we think it means.

Event types

Each event is classified into one of the following types:

FDAFDA Warning Letter
RecallFDA Recall
FTCFTC Action
NADNAD Challenge
Prop 65Prop 65 Action
LawsuitClass Action Lawsuit
CPSCCPSC Complaint
GapTesting Gap
LabIndependent Lab Finding
UndisclosedUndisclosed Ingredient
ResponseBrand Response

Severity rubric

Events are assigned a severity level based on potential consumer impact:

Critical

Immediate health risk, product recall, or confirmed harmful contaminant at levels exceeding regulatory limits. Withdrawal of core product claims by regulatory body.

Major

Active class action, Prop 65 settlement, independent lab finding of contaminants, or pattern of consumer complaints (BBB, CPSC). Material gap in testing or transparency for a high-revenue brand.

Moderate

Absence of third-party certifications, proprietary blend opacity, or testing gaps that are common in the industry but notable for a brand of this scale.

Informational

Ownership changes, acquisitions, or other material corporate events that provide context but do not directly indicate a compliance issue.

Relationship to the Trust Index

The Evident Trust Index scores brands on 7 dimensions of transparency and trustworthiness. The Caselog provides the underlying evidence file — the documented events that inform those scores.

The two resources are complementary but independent. The Trust Index synthesizes data into a composite score; the Caselog presents the raw record without synthesis. Each can be used on its own.

Right of reply

Any brand documented in the Caselog may contact us to:

  • Request full source citations — we will provide within 14 days
  • Submit factual corrections — verified corrections are published with a correction note
  • Provide official responses — brand statements are published alongside the relevant event

Contact: hello@getevident.co

Update cadence

The Caselog is reviewed and updated on a rolling basis. Each brand page shows a “last reviewed” date indicating when its record was last checked against public databases. New events are added as they are identified and verified.

Disclosure: Evident Health LLC owns Sleep Karma, a bamboo-silk mouth tape brand. Mouth tape is intentionally excluded from this index to avoid scoring our own category. We disclose this prominently because that’s what trustworthy publishers do.