Story line There’s a strange new trend taking over in the UK. We’re not talking male mullets or those dreadful mesh ballet pumps. No, it’s when you’re eating a shop-bought baguette and your friend gleefully grabs it to scan the barcode with their phone. What’s happening? You’re being Yuka-ed, that’s what.
Guideline If no one has preached to you yet about Yuka – users are very devout – then let me explain. It’s an app that allows people to scan their food (and cosmetic products) so they can see a health ranking. For edibles this is derived from factors such as calories, sugar, saturated fat and fibre. Sixty per cent of the rating is based on nutritional value, ten per cent on whether it is organic or not and 30 per cent on additives (particularly pertinent now that we’ve all read Chris Van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People and become terrified of chemical-laden foods). Dateline Yuka was launched in France in 2017, by Julie Chapon and brothers Benoît and François Martin. It now has more than 60 million users across 12 countries, with around 68 products scanned every second.
Hardline The app scores food out of 100: 75 or higher is deemed excellent, more than 50 is good, poor is above 25, while below 25 is judged as bad. This is explained with traffic-light rankings and when a product is poor, users receive suggestions for healthier options.
Dividing line Obviously, whole unprocessed foods are generally the best, but one of the addictive aspects of Yuka is finding surprise results. Vegetarian sausages get a bad rap for being ultra-processed, but Richmond’s sage and onion version gets a green flag, while Edwards Welsh beef steak meatballs score an abysmal eight out of 100. Marks & Spencer’s cheddar and onion quiche only manages nine points (into the red zone) yet Lidl’s microwavable Mexican rice pouches are rated excellent.
Out of line Shock poor performers include a Waitrose falafel and hummus pot (49/100, so not the healthy snack buyers might have thought) and Huel, which brands itself as ‘a nutritionally complete food’. According to Yuka, it’s got too much salt, too many calories and additives, albeit with ‘limited risk’.
Fine line Yuka is not without its critics, as some experts point to the lack of nuance in its verdicts. For instance, certain ingredients flagged as harmful are considered safe in low doses. ‘Yuka highlights their presence, but it is up to the user to investigate what is an acceptable quantity,’ reports Euronews.
Official line Doctors we spoke to are generally pro-Yuka, as it empowers users to make better food choices. ‘For patients with specific health conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, these apps can help them monitor their intake of certain ingredients,’ says Dr Elise Dallas of The London General Practice. However, it may not be suitable for all. ‘Focusing too much on additives might cause unnecessary anxiety,’ she says. ‘People with eating disorders might become obsessive about the scores, leading to restrictive eating.’
Battle line Yuka now has a ‘Call out the brand’ button, which allows users to challenge manufacturers directly when a scanned product flags health concerns. There’s an option to email the companies, pushing them to rethink their use of harmful additives, or you can publish a post on X advocating for change.
Down the line Occasionally brands do change their ways because of Yuka. French supermarket chain Intermarché, for example, altered 900 recipes by removing 140 additives due to pressure from users. Vouloir, c’est pouvoir!