Processed foods are formulated to manipulate taste buds with excess sodium, sugar, and fat with chemical flavorings, colorings and preservatives which are a recipe for poor health. Big companies are focused on profit and choose cheap fillers and chemicals to make them addictive even though studies show they increase the risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and more. Product packages are blazoned with marketing buzzwords like, “natural” or “no sugar added” (artificial sugar is worse!) which can mislead one to think that it is a good choice. Deciphering nutrition labels to try to avoid toxic ingredients can be time consuming. If you need to avoid ingredients, reading every label can make shopping exhausting! Fortunately, there are organizations doing the research analyzing ingredients and provide the technology to make it easier and faster for us to make informed selections via barcode scanner apps. Most will provide ratings, and even offer better alternatives. Also important are skincare and cosmetic ratings, as well as household cleaners too, for what you put on your skin or breathe in is absorbed by the body. One can also check the evaluations of pet food! Here are some of the current most used ones, listed in order of consumer rating popularity:
Bobby Approved TikTok Influencer Bobby Parrish of Flavcity rates food products as bad or good based on 100 ingredients he thinks should be avoided, such as seed oils. About 10% of products in the stores are Bobby Approved. If not approved, app will offer alternatives. Can shop categories and products that are approved have his logo on it, so won’t need to scan. Can click on “bad “ingredient and learn why it is toxic. Some have criticized that he does not disclose financial incentives for him on some of his recommendations.
Yuka Food & Cosmetics It lists the products’ positives and negatives, scale of comparison (e.g. sodium level range of like products and where the current one ranks), suggests healthier similar products. It keeps a shopping history product rating for quick referral. Product evaluations are independent and are not influenced by manufactures’ incentives. There is a bias that if something is determined to be high protein, they will not rate it.
Think Dirty-Shop Clean Rates beauty, skincare, cosmetic, and household, baby, and pet items. You can flag allergens and ingredients to avoid. Premium subscription version gives curated product recommendations in categories. Ratings are focused on ingredients, and is not affiliated with any manufacturer.
EWG Healthy Living Has a database for food, personal care, sunscreens and household cleaners. Scoring from 1-10, and providing EWG Verified labels on products they recommend as safe. Can search for products by name at home, or by scanning bar code. Reviews reported poor filtering, report errors, not as many products and not keeping available products current.
Fig It is great to quickly identify diet specific ingredient to avoid or medical restrictions, like gluten-free, dairy-free, low histamine, low FODMAP, no added sugar, specific nut allergy…It will let you know if a product fits into your preference profile without having to take the time to read every ingredient listed. The paid version will also help in restaurant menu selections and offers unlimited scans (free version is currently 6 scans a month). It doesn’t analyze ingredients as healthy or not. Six free scans a month.
Two surveys have found that food scanner apps are effective in encouraging healthier eating triggering a shift in power to the consumer, forcing companies to improve the quality of their products. Make the effort to find healthier alternatives to favorites. Download a barcode scanner app before your next shopping trip and start scanning—level up your health and your body and your future self will thank you!
And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18
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