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An increasing number of the University of Florida students are using applications to uncover the toxic substances in the groceries or cosmetic products they buy.
Yuka – a mobile scanning application – analyzes food items as well as hygienic and cosmetic products. Each product results in a detailed data sheet, helping users understand what the items are composed of, why Yuka rated it that way and the risks the product may have on one’s health.
If Yuka rates the product poorly, the application then offers alternative recommendations that are better for one’s health. Yuka is 100% independent, meaning that no brand or manufacturer influences their scores, they have no ads and they are not funded from any conflicts of interest.
Marleigh Brown, 22, is a UF student and familiar with the Yuka app.
Brown said that after she started scanning products, she would recognize which were healthier to use and add them as staples to her shopping trips.
“I’m big on trying to use products that are vegan or cruelty-free if I can,” Brown said. “So, I do like to scan that stuff just to be more mindful of it.”
Brown has since deleted the application after Yuka made her more confident in the quality of the products she buys.
Bailee Couch, 19, downloaded the app one week ago.
Couch scans her skincare and body products. She said her shampoo scored poorly and it is a product she would consider replacing with something better.
“I trust the scoring system quite a bit since it seems like there’s a lot of proof behind it, but at the same time, I don’t think I would completely give up a product I love just because it had a poor Yuka score,” Couch said.
Couch also addressed limitations to the app.
“Some of the suggestions it gave me were good alternatives, and some seemed very different than the original product,” Couch said.
According to the company’s website, Yuka’s database has four million food products, two million cosmetic products and 1,200 new products added daily.
Yuka is free to use, but there is a premium version with more features. Without having to scan the product, the premium version lets you search for any item. You can also use the app offline and add dietary preferences.
However, not all students feel the need to partake in using these apps.
Holly Fitzgerald, 19, is a pre-nursing student at the University of Florida and does not use the Yuka app. She said she places all her trust in major brand companies and government regulations to filter out harmful substances.
“I think that it is a genuine health concern because if you are using these products for a long period of time and they have harmful substances, that can be obviously detrimental, but I would also say that anxiety plays a role,” Fitzgerald said.
Rating the products as excellent, good, poor and bad, Yuka allows students to take full control of what they are consuming. The label may list the substances, but Yuka gives users the ability to decipher them.