French App in Focus: Yuka
The goal of Yuka is to help users improve their health by giving them information on what is in food they buy.
Users scan the barcode of food items and the app gives you a score based on three main criteria – nutritional quality (60%), additives (30%), and the organic nature of the ingredients (10%).
One of the app’s highlights is that it can show you alternative, healthier options, similar to the product you have scanned, often in the same aisle.
The app – which is now being used by supermarket chain Intermarché to check the health benefits of its own products – is independently owned so its ratings should be objective and not influenced by brands or manufacturers.
The app has more than 10 million users, with three million barcodes being scanned every day.
It also now evaluates cosmetic products by looking at the ingredients and how they may affect your body.
When Connexion tested the app, we found it recognised the barcodes of eight products we scanned at a supermarket and gave healthier alternatives.
