yuka app

Cooking Discussions
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interesting article about the yuka app , which seems to be affecting non-regulatory change led by consumers

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For those without a subscription: https://archive.is/MYkgF

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How long does it generally take for articles to be available there? I looked up a fairly recent NYer article, and it didn’t show :frowning:

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Some publications have blocked archive.is. I can’t use it for the NYer anymore.

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Hm. I specifically bookmarked the link to the archive when a_m was kind enough to post a link to a NYer article I’d shared here to make it available for non-subscribing members, and fairly recently :thinking:

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I know. It’s hard for me to gauge, because I get a few free articles. But I think I was locked out last time I tried to view something.

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I have the Yuka app and I use it. Not as often as when I got it but it’s helpful. Basically it scans the barcode and gives you a rating, 0-100, and healthiness rating, bad, good, etc. , and a list of ingredients. The one thing it excels at is identifying and listing ingredients, in particular ultraprocessed foods and additives.

From the article, here’s the Yuka effect in a nutshell:

The consulting firm BCG coined the term “Yuka Effect” to describe how the app shapes what goes in — or stays out — of shopping carts. Yuka says survey data suggests 94 percent of its users put products back on the shelf after the app shows them low scores. That’s helping to pressure manufacturers to reformulate products to score better, despite objections from some experts that the app oversimplifiescomplex diet decisions.

I agree when I see a low score, I put the item back. But you do need to read the whole thing on occasion, like buying a pie or cake. Pies can get a bad rating for fat in the crust…but that’s part of the point of a pie.

The other things: a) manufacturers are listening and b) yuka added a feedback option that goes to the manufacturer, asking to eliminate ingredients. Given the recent revelations that ultraprocessed food is bad for you and might be contributing to early cancers, it’s a good thing. Crowd sourcing info is good.

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