Should you be using a nutrition app?

The popularisation of apps that scan ingredient lists of foods and warn you of potentially problematic additives are swaying our food choices and changing the way we shop and eat. Apps such as Yuka, EWG’s Healthy Living and PureCheck scan the barcodes of food and cosmetics, and rate them based on health impact. They are regarded as an impartial, transparent voice in an otherwise noisy, confusing area of reading product labels and making purchasing decisions. About 14 million US users check Yuka every day, scanning up to five million products. From this, 85 per cent alter their purchasing habits based on the app’s ratings. This indicates a significant change in purchase decisions. These apps are generally viewed as positive, empowering the shopper and pushing big companies to change their formulations. Across Europe, consumers’ demand for transparency has led to industry changes, with companies streamlining their products in accordance with Yuka’s criteria. However, are these apps accurate in what they tell you? Let’s take a closer look.

What the apps tell you

Typically, these apps use the camera on your phone to scan the barcode on a product. The product is then identified from a database and given a rating. If using Yuka, the nutritional information, ingredients list and any additives contribute to the overall score between zero and 100 (100 being the best). Artificial and less favourable ingredients are highlighted (such as too much salt or high saturates) and if the product has scored poorly, the app will recommend a healthier alternative with a better score. You can also use Yuka to scan cosmetics – it works in the same way.

EWGs Healthy Living app is focused on reducing chemical exposure and includes around 120,000 food, cosmetic and cleaning items. Identifying products via their barcodes, it awards a one to 10 health score based on ingredient hazards. You can browse categories and ingredients.

PureCheck is another barcode scanning app for food and cosmetics. It doesn’t give a score, but instead provides a nutritional/ingredient summary. This is probably the most simplistic of the three, providing less information than Yuka or EWG.

While these apps do help identify high-risk ingredients and empower consumers to make better choices with their shopping, there are several drawbacks. One concern is the scoring systems, which can oversimplify complex nutritional information. For example, Yuka may rate a product poorly due to the presence of additives, even if the overall nutritional profile is good. In some instances, PureCheck has cited limited research based on animal studies, and the size of the databases on all these apps vary, so the product choice is a bit limited at times and there is some bias towards bigger brands.

None of the apps appear to factor in ultra-processed foods, but instead emphasise specific ingredients/components that have been linked to adverse health outcomes. These could include nitrites/nitrates, which have been linked to colorectal cancer risk, or certain artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or acesulfame-K), flagged for possible metabolic or neurological effects.

Critics argue that ignoring the level of processing overlooks a key health factor, as numerous studies link UPF consumption to chronic disease and ageing, regardless of nutritional content. For example:

Flavoured plant-based milks – some almond or oat milks may score well if they’re low in sugar and free from additives, even if they’re heavily processed and low in protein
Vegan meat alternatives – are low in fat, with few additives, but heavily processed
Protein bars – are low in sugar and high in protein, which can boost their score even though they contain artificial sweeteners and are heavily processed

So, a food high in sugar might score better on Yuka, EWG and PureCheck than one with additives deemed risky (like nitrites), which can be misleading.

Additionally, other factors, such as environmental sustainability, are overlooked and they don’t always account for portion sizes or dietary context, leading to potentially inaccurate or misleading conclusions. For example, if a tortilla wrap scored low, yet you were having it with some grilled chicken and salad, would it still be ranked as a ‘poor’ choice? On Yuka, a fresh fruit item will only get a score of 100 if it is organic, which seems a bit excessive.

A woman scanning a product in a supermarket

Here is an overview of how these apps tend to rate various common foods.

Fresh fruit and vegetables
Score: 90-100
Why? Unprocessed

Extra virgin olive oil
Score: 75
Why? No additives, low sugar, low salt, yet too calorific

Whole grain bread
Score: 60-75
Why? Contains salt, sometimes sugar or additives

Hummus
Score: 60-80
Why? Nutritious, but may contain preservatives

Sugary breakfast cereals
Score: 10-30
Why? High sugar, additives, ultra-processed

Flavoured yogurts
Score: 10-30
Why? High sugar, flavourings, sometimes artificial sweeteners

Processed cheese slices
Score: 5-20
Why? Emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, ultra-processed

How useful/trustworthy is the advice?

Speaking as a nutritionist, these apps can be useful for people as a general guide, but they have clear limitations when it comes to providing trustworthy, personalised dietary advice. The useful aspects include:

Makes nutrition information more accessible to people who perhaps wouldn’t look at back-of-packet ingredients lists
Colour coding is simple and easy to understand
Highlights controversial or overused ingredients like nitrites, certain sweeteners or emulsifiers
Encourages people to think more about which ingredients may impact their health
Provides alternatives, which can guide people towards better choices and items that contain lower fat, sugar or salt

There are limitations to consider too, which should be factored in when using the apps:

Complex nutrition data is reduced to a single score, which can be misleading
They lack personalisation and don’t account for medical conditions, allergies/intolerances and energy needs
The one-size-fits-all approach is too simplistic
Additives are over-emphasised, even if they have been approved by regulatory bodies/food safety and are present in tiny amounts
Can create unnecessary fear and obsession around food choices

'No Monosodium Glutamate' written in powder

The additives I avoid as a nutritionist

The apps tend to focus most heavily on controversial additives, preservatives and artificial flavours and colours. I would have to agree that if you are someone who is consuming ultra-processed foods daily, are regularly feeding them to your family or have a chronic health condition, then it’s probably advisable to avoid/reduce them. However, small amounts on occasion are not dangerous for most healthy individuals.

There are a few ingredients I do try to avoid/limit, which are:

Trans fats (hydrogenated oils): linked to heart disease and banned in many countries. Unfortunately, they can still appear in some processed foods.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS): a highly processed sugar linked to obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver disease
Sodium nitrite: often used in processed meats as a preservative, but associated with increased cancer risk
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): a flavour enhancer that can cause headaches or sensitivity in some people
Food dyes red 40 and yellow 5: linked to hyperactivity in children

Should you take your app shopping?

These apps can help identify foods that might be better to eat less often, but it’s more important to focus on overall diet than obsess over small amounts of additives in specific products. By simply checking if an item has a long list of ingredients, you can usually tell whether it’s one to add to your trolley or not.

Overall, these apps can be educational and are a useful entry point for raising awareness about the food you're eating. But, it’s hard to be sure how accurate or consistent the information is. Nutrition is rarely black and white, and apps are not a substitute for tailored, professional, individualised information, especially for complex cases. If you focus on cooking with whole foods and fresh produce, you can be confident you are making good choices without the need for apps.

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