iPhone / iPad - Free (In-app purchases)
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Grocery shopping can be stressful. There’s so much choice and often it’s really difficult to figure out what sets one brand’s product apart from its almost identical-looking rivals.
Yuka aims to solve some of this shopping-induced overwhelm, giving you a wealth of information about your groceries and cosmetics so you can ultimately make better choices.
To get started with Yuka you simply need to scan a product’s barcode. You’ll then see how the app rates it based on a series of different points, like the amount of fiber, energy, and salt & sugar levels it has. Ideal if you can’t choose between products or you just want a quick and easy way to find out more about what you’re buying.
Simple scanning and objective analysis
Yuka rates products out of 100 based on a bunch of different metrics. What you’re given at a quick glance is a green or red dot and a summary of the product. For example, I just scanned a tin of chickpeas and Yuka tells me they’re 75/100 with a green dot and an “Excellent” rating.
What does this ranking actually mean? Well, Yuka says it’s about helping people make “healthier choices” and although I’m against labeling foods as “good” and “bad” as a general rule, it’s a good way to see what the nutritional quality of your food is, whether it’s packed with additives and its organic status. As long as you’re not living your life making a moral judgment on everything you consume and you’re using it as an educational tool, I think it could be really handy.
Yuka is an independent app and it says all of its analysis is objective. This means you won’t find any ads or brand partners here as they would skew the results. It also provides simple information in a user-friendly design, which is straightforward enough to read when you’re out and about at the store.
Importantly, Yuka is also filled with a big database of products. It’s a US-based app, but I’ve taken it on a few trips to the supermarket in the UK now and found most of the products are there. We’ve already covered a similar app but purely for cosmetics, called OnSkin. But Yuka combines food and cosmetics in one, providing a more streamlined solution.
I don’t think we should agonize over rating all of our food, but Yuka is a good option if you’re looking for a way to easily assess your grocery and cosmetics shopping choices.
