I discovered an (old) food app. And you want them too

Such apps have been around for a long time. The user scans the barcode of a food (or cosmetic) and the app provides information about the product: the nutritional values, the composition, and dangerous ingredients. There are at least five such digital tools in the Google Playstore alone.

But they are only as good as their databases. If many Swiss products are missing, the appeal is lost. This is exactly why most apps failed a few years ago.

“My” app has them (almost) all. I have already scanned hundreds of products from Coop and Migros – and only a handful were not recognized.

The app in question is called Yuka, comes from France and claims to be completely independent of the food industry. As proof of this, all company earnings are published.

For a long time, the app was used almost exclusively in France. A German version has been available since 2022. Patrizia Laeri wrote about it years ago in ‘Blick’, but Yuka (unlike French-speaking Switzerland) never really arrived in German-speaking Switzerland. Of the numerous foodies in the editorial office, no one knew the app. But now some people have made a fool of it.

Each scanned product is given a score from 0 to 100. The higher the value, the healthier. The well-known Nutri-Score contributes 60 percent to the rating based on calories, sugar, saturated fatty acids, proteins, fiber, etc. Additives, or rather their absence, account for 30 percent; 10 percent whether it is an organic product. That is why only organic products without (problematic) additives can achieve a smooth 100.

And so I start scanning – and am amazed. Because there are enormous differences within the product groups. For example with the chips.

Yes, the objection is justified. Anyone who eats chips knows what they are doing to themselves. It can still happen sometimes.

But anyone who willingly lets someone punch them in the face and has a choice between Mike Tyson and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider would be careless to leave the decision to chance.

Organic tortilla chips from Migros, for example: Zack. 100 out of 100 points and an “Excellent”. I’m already playing with the idea of ​​completely tailoring my diet to this. But be careful – and this would already mention the major disadvantage of the app: the Nutri-Score is only suitable for comparing products within the same group.

The standard doubt chips “Original” score 54 points and therefore a “good” rating (pepper “mediocre” with 48 points). Both can still be offered without inhibitions, both classify themselves much better than comparable products aimed mainly at children. Pringels, on the other hand, are for guests you want to get rid of. They are left with 3 to 15 points and a “poor” rating.

The Tik Tok chips Takis, which are especially popular with children, are doing even worse. 0 out of 100 points. Seasoned hazardous waste. When you eat the Fuego Rolled Tortilla Chips, you eat 9 additions. Four of these are described as “risky” by the app. With just a few clicks I can find out more – and get the sources for the relevant scientific studies. This function is particularly reliable.

A less comforting feature of the Takis, I understand, is the antioxidant tertiary butylhydroquinone. It is suspected of ‘causing changes in the structure of genetic material’. It’s still in the Takis. Just like the yellow-orange food coloring S. This is said to promote hyperactivity and attention disorders in children. But now I’m surprised! Not.

The 0 points for the Citerio salami, the chorizo ​​and the budget Lyoner sausage also do not surprise me. I did not expect that Bündnerfleisch would score so poorly with a paltry 7 and 8 points.

If you are looking for a healthier spread, you should go for fake meat. But there too it becomes clear that there are enormous differences. With 51 points, the vegan ham skewer from Rügenwalder Mühle scores more than the entire range of meat products – and comes with virtually no additives. The new Lyoner meat products from Planted performed even better at the Coop, with a complete absence of additives: 61 points.

All products from the Swiss manufacturer are classified as good (50-74 points) or excellent (from 75 points). Although on average they perform significantly better than real meat, not all meat substitute products meet this standard: for example, the vegetable salami from Amala (poor: 24), or the popular vegan Landjäger (moderate: 40 points) have excessively high levels of saturated fatty acids. Oh, and there’s this flagship vegetarian product…

As soon as I scan it and I receive a bad review about a product, I receive a selection of healthier alternatives. This way I don’t have to scan the entire shelf. It’s actually a shame.

It is also interesting to compare the different dairy products. They are by far… I could go on chatting for hours. Over yogurt, butter, protein bars or corn flakes…

But I don’t want to be a spoilsport.

Part of the fun is scanning yourself – anticipating the score as accurately as possible. Yuka council rounds now take place regularly at home. Ketchup for example… You’ll see.

Rarely, very rarely, a product goes unrecognized. These gaps mainly concern products whose production is less industrially standardized or which are not generally assessed according to other criteria (alcoholic drinks).

So, have fun scanning.

PS: Findus-Platzli is performing “well” in the business! Take that, Food Nazi!