Yuka Reveals Most-Scanned Items Across Five Crucial U.S. Regions, Underscoring Rising Demand for Transparent Products

Yuka, the independent health and wellness app that more than 48 million consumers worldwide use to scan the barcodes of their food and cosmetics products and gain information about the ingredients, presence of additives, and quality, has today released its list of top scanned products in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Florida for 2023. Worldwide, Yuka recorded 1.2 billion product scans in 2023, with nearly 500 million of those scans coming from the United States. The uptick in scans in the U.S. sheds light on the increasing curiosity and concern among U.S. consumers regarding the composition of the products they consume daily and is part of the emerging trend of consumers changing their shopping behaviors based on whether products contain potentially harmful ingredients.

The most scanned items were as follows:

California:

1. Kirkland Signature Purified Drinking Water (Yuka Score: 71/100)
2. Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Hair Oil (Yuka Score: 72/100)
3. Native Coconut & Vanilla Moisturizing Vegan Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
4. Hello Antiplaque and Whitening Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (Yuka Score: 93/100)
5. Native Almond & Shea Butter Vegan Strengthening Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)

New York:

1. Poland Spring Water (Yuka Score: 100/100)
2. Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Hair Oil (Yuka Score: 72/100)
3. Native Coconut & Vanilla Moisturizing Vegan Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
4. Native Almond & Shea Butter Vegan Strengthening Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
5. Hello Antiplaque and Whitening Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (Yuka Score: 93/100)

Texas:

1. Hello Antiplaque and Whitening Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (Yuka Score: 93/100)
2. Native Coconut & Vanilla Moisturizing Vegan Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
3. Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Hair Oil (Yuka Score: 72/100)
4. Ozarka Spring Water (Yuka Score: 100/100)
5. Native Almond & Shea Butter Vegan Strengthening Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)

Illinois:

1. Ice Mountain Water (Yuka Score: 100/100)
2. Native Coconut & Vanilla Moisturizing Vegan Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
3. Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Hair Oil (Yuka Score: 72/100)
4. Hello Antiplaque and Whitening Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (Yuka Score: 93/100)
5. CeraVe Daily Face and Body Moisturizing Lotion (Yuka Score: 15/100)

Florida:

1. Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Yuka Score: 100/100)
2. Hello Antiplaque and Whitening Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (Yuka Score: 93/100)
3. Native Coconut & Vanilla Moisturizing Vegan Shampoo (Yuka Score: 76/100)
4. Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Hair Oil (Yuka Score: 72/100)
5. Dave’s Killer Bread Thin Sliced Organic Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds (Yuka Score: 94/100)

How Yuka Scores Are Calculated:

The average Yuka score among all of these products was 82/100, which reflects highly on these popular products. Yuka’s food product scores are meticulously calculated based on three key criteria:

• Nutritional Quality (60%): Yuka employs the Nutri-Score method, considering elements such as calories, sugar, salt, saturated fats, protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. This method provides a comprehensive nutritional assessment, avoiding threshold effects to ensure accurate scoring between similar products.
• Presence of Additives (30%): Yuka assesses the presence of additives based on the latest scientific research, incorporating recommendations from EFSA, IARC, and independent studies. Yuka provides detailed information on additive risks and scientific sources within the application.
• Organic Dimension (10%): A bonus is granted to products with an official national or international organic label. This bonus reflects the health benefits of an organic diet, as these products avoid chemical pesticides.

The scoring system for cosmetics is based on the latest scientific research and analyzes every ingredient that goes into the product. Each ingredient is assigned a risk level according to its potential effects on health or the environment: endocrine disruptive, carcinogenic, allergenic, irritant or polluting. The potential risks associated with each ingredient are displayed in the application, with the relevant scientific sources. Ingredients are classified into four risk categories:

• Risk-free (green dot)
• Low risk (yellow dot)
• Moderate risk (orange dot)
• Hazardous (red dot)

The score is based on the level of the highest-risk ingredient present in the product. If a hazardous ingredient (red) is present in the product, the score will automatically be red (lower than 25/100).

The Global Trend:

In Europe, consumers have been at the forefront of a movement against harmful ingredients and additives in food, prompting manufacturers to reformulate their products. This push for transparency has resulted in positive changes in the industry. Yuka and its transparent rating system have also already had an impact on the way that food and cosmetic products are manufactured in Europe, with large companies such as Nestlé France, Unilever France, and Caudalie sharing that they have been pushing to speed up improvements to products and simplifying ingredient lists to align with Yuka’s evaluation criteria.

Changing Landscape in the United States:

Simultaneously, in the United States, there has been a notable shift in legislation surrounding ingredient regulations, both on the state and national levels. The FDA has taken significant steps to address additives that are either banned or heavily regulated in Europe (such as recently proposing banning brominated vegetable oil), signaling a commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of products available to American consumers.

“The high number of scans for viral products including Mielle’s Hair Oil and the Native products reflect consumers’ eagerness to understand what goes into their purchases. It’s reassuring to see that, on average, these popular products scored highly on Yuka, indicating a level of trustworthiness,” shared Yuka CEO and co-founder Julie Chapon. “Our constant uptick in both users and scans underscores the growing interest in transparency, and we’re proud to be at the forefront, empowering users to make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle.”

As the global conversation on product transparency evolves, Yuka remains at the forefront, providing users with the tools they need to make informed decisions about the products they choose. The app’s extensive database and detailed analyses empower consumers to navigate the complexities of ingredient lists, fostering a healthier and more informed lifestyle.

For media inquiries or interviews, please contact Khloé Lewis at [email protected]

About Yuka:
Yuka is the groundbreaking mobile app trusted by more than 48 million users worldwide to scan the barcodes of food and personal care products and instantly receive a detailed breakdown of their ingredients, an overview of potential health impacts, and recommendations for healthier alternatives. Yuka is set apart by its unwavering commitment to independence – it is a 100% unbiased project where reviews and recommendations remain objective, free from any brand or manufacturer’s influence. With a comprehensive database with millions of food and cosmetics products, Yuka empowers users to make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle. Learn more at www.yuka.io.

SOURCE: Yuka