Make the right choices for your health

Yuka is a popular mobile app that helps users make informed decisions about the food and cosmetic products they purchase. By scanning barcodes, Yuka provides detailed information about the ingredients, nutritional value, and potential health risks associated with items. The app uses a simple color coded system to rate products from green (healthy) to red (unhealthy), empowering users to make better choices for their well-being. With millions of downloads and a growing database, Yuka has become a trusted tool for those seeking to live healthier, more informed lives.

https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/yuka-food-cosmetic-scanner/id1092799236

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.yuka.android&hl=en_CA

How Yuka Transformed My Approach to Food: A Personal Journey

Standing in my kitchen, holding my phone in one hand and a bottle of olive oil in the other, I decided to give the Yuka app a try. I scanned the barcode, and the results appeared almost instantly—an impressive score of 75/100. Intrigued, I scanned more items. The tomato ketchup scored a disappointing 39/100, the honey mustard dressing was even worse at 36/100, and the soya milk I thought was healthy came in at a low 49/100. It felt like a game, and I couldn’t stop scanning.

What Is Yuka and Why It Matters

Yuka has been gaining significant attention on social media, and with over 63 million users, it’s easy to see why. Founded in 2017 by Benoit Martin, François Martin, and Julie Chapon, Yuka is an independent app, meaning it’s not funded by any brands or manufacturers. This independence ensures that the ratings and recommendations you receive are impartial and free from external influence, making it a trustworthy tool for health-conscious individuals.

How Does Yuka Work?

Yuka allows you to scan the barcode of food and household products to instantly receive a health and environmental impact score from 0 to 100. The app evaluates products based on nutritional information, additives, and whether they are organic. It considers factors like calories, sugar, salt, saturated fats, protein, and fiber, all derived from independent studies. Importantly, the app gives a 10% weight to whether the product carries an official organic certification.

If a product receives a poor score, Yuka suggests healthier alternatives. For example, when I scanned regular table salt, Yuka recommended switching to sea salt, guiding me towards better choices.

Where Does Yuka Get Its Data?

Yuka’s extensive database includes over five million products and is built from contributions by users and data provided directly from brands. This wealth of information makes Yuka an invaluable resource for anyone looking to make healthier decisions regarding their food and household products.

Is Yuka Reliable?

After using Yuka for a week, I can confidently say it’s an effective tool for improving your eating habits. Scanning products became addictive, but it also heightened my awareness of what I was consuming. Items I thought were healthy, like the soya milk, received lower ratings than expected, which was an eye-opener. As I scanned my entire kitchen, I became hyper-focused on my food choices.

However, I began to feel that the app was influencing my decisions too much. The app’s “good” or “bad” categorization of foods felt restrictive, and I questioned whether it oversimplified the complex nature of nutrition.

How Accurate Is Yuka?

While Yuka generally provides accurate and trustworthy information, no app is entirely free from potential discrepancies. The accuracy of the database, the frequency of updates, and the reliability of user-uploaded data can all affect the app’s ratings. Although Yuka is a helpful guide, it’s always wise to cross-check product information if you’re unsure about a particular rating.

Conclusion: Yuka as a Valuable Tool, Not the Final Word

Ultimately, Yuka is an excellent resource for gaining insight into your food choices, but it shouldn’t be the sole determinant of your diet. While it’s a fantastic tool for learning about the health and environmental impact of products, it’s important not to let it dictate every decision. Food scanning apps like Yuka are best used as informative guides, helping you make more conscious choices without imposing rigid rules on your eating habits.