TECH

Yuka: The App That Rates Food and Cosmetics Now Allows Users to Contact Companies Directly

Yuka is a widely-used health application that empowers users to scan food item barcodes, providing immediate access to health ratings based on factors such as additives, sugar, saturated fat, and fiber content. The app also evaluates cosmetic products, flagging any harmful ingredients, including endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, allergens, and irritants. With this information, Yuka suggests healthier alternatives, enabling consumers to make informed and conscientious choices.

Since its launch in France in 2017, Yuka has uncovered serious concerns with major brands concerning harmful ingredients that many consumers unknowingly consume. Notably, French supermarket chain Intermarché revamped 900 recipes and eliminated 140 additives due to demands from shoppers and Yuka users.

The company is now broadening its mission with a new feature that enables users to directly contact brands that utilize these concerning ingredients.

Image Credits: Yuka

Launched today, the new “Call-out the Brand” feature enables users to directly confront companies over their use of harmful ingredients. When a user scans a product that bears Yuka’s red label, indicating health risks, they will be presented with an option to email the manufacturer, urging them to reconsider the use of these additives. While Yuka provides a standard message, users are free to customize it if they choose.

Moreover, users can also publish a post on X to advocate for these changes publicly. The company aims to extend support to other social media platforms like Instagram and more in the future.

While emails and social media posts often lose their effectiveness with limited participation, Yuka is optimistic that this feature could inspire thousands, or even millions, of consumers to stand up for healthier options. A study conducted by the Food Industry Association (FMI) and NielsenIQ found that 72% of respondents prefer brands that provide clear product information and labeling when choosing food products.

This feature could be especially advantageous for American consumers, where food regulations are generally less stringent than in Europe.

Currently, the new tool is exclusive to premium users in France and the U.S. Membership costs range from $10 to $50 annually, providing benefits such as offline mode, unlimited history, and more. It is planned to roll out to more countries in the upcoming months.

Yuka can be downloaded from both the App Store and Google Play Store, boasting 1 million paid users, with 700,000 located in the U.S. Overall, the app has a global user base of over 60 million.



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