What is "QuelProduit," the new UFC-Que Choisir product rating app, worth?

The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir has unveiled a new version of its free "QuelProduit" app. It allows consumers to screen food, cosmetics, and household products to ensure they do not contain harmful substances. The association aims to give French consumers a clearer view of the contents of their shopping carts, both from a health and environmental perspective.

Once the app is downloaded to their smartphone, users can scan the item's barcode. The tool then displays the product's composition, as well as any harmful substances it contains. A total of 370,000 products are listed.

This isn't a new concept, as similar apps already exist. The Yuka app lets you scan food products to learn more about their ingredients.

The UFC-Que Choisir tool is generally more stringent than Yuka or the Nutriscore displayed on products. For example, biscuits, which receive a score of 69 out of 100 and are considered good although a little too caloric on Yuka, are deemed unrecommendable on QuelProduit, being very caloric, too fatty, and too sweet.

This observation is the same for ravioli, tabbouleh, sauces, face creams, and even household products. QuelProduit also covers more products and is more comprehensive because it systematically provides an environmental rating.