How the Yuka score works — and how Novaz scores products
· 6 min read · By the Novaz team
If you've scanned a product with Yuka, you've seen a score out of 100 and a color. The method behind it is public, and it has become a common template for food scanner apps — including Novaz. Here's how it works.
The Yuka food score, as Yuka describes it
- Nutritional quality counts for 60% and is based on Nutri-Score, which rewards fiber, protein, fruit and vegetables and penalizes calories, sugar, saturated fat and salt.
- Additives count for 30%. Each additive is given a risk level, shown as a colored dot from risk-free to high risk.
- Organic status counts for 10%.
- The result is a score out of 100 in one of four categories: Excellent, Good, Poor or Bad.
How Novaz applies the same structure
| Yuka (as published) | Novaz | |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition | 60%, based on Nutri-Score | 60%, based on Nutri-Score |
| Additives | 30%, each additive rated by risk | 30%, each additive rated none, limited, moderate or high risk |
| Organic | 10% | 10% |
| Bands | Excellent, Good, Poor, Bad | Excellent 75–100, Good 50–74, Poor 25–49, Bad 0–24 |
| High-risk additive | — | Caps the score at 49 |
| Cosmetics | Rated from ingredient risks | Riskiest ingredient caps the score (24 high, 49 moderate); scored when at least half the ingredients are rated |
Why the same product can score differently in two apps
- Different additive ratings. Each app decides its own risk level for each additive, and experts don't always agree.
- Different product data. A product can have several entries — different sizes, countries or recipe versions — with different nutrition facts.
- Different Nutri-Score versions. The algorithm was updated in 2023 and 2024, and apps may not update at the same time.
- Missing data. One app may score a product with incomplete data while another declines to.
Reading any score well
Whatever app you use, the number is the start, not the answer. Look at what pulled the score down, compare products within the same category, and treat the result as a guide for everyday choices rather than a verdict on a single food.
FAQ
- Is the Yuka score the same as Nutri-Score?
- No. Yuka describes Nutri-Score as the basis of the nutrition part, which is 60% of the score. Additives and organic status make up the rest.
- Why does a product with a good Nutri-Score still score poorly?
- Because additives count too. In Novaz, a single high-risk additive caps the score at 49, however good the nutrition is.
Yuka is a trademark of its owner. Novaz is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Yuka. Details about Yuka are taken from its own published help pages, linked above.
Scan it before you buy it
Novaz: Food & Cosmetic Scanner scores food and cosmetics from 0 to 100, shows why, and suggests better picks from the same shelf — no ads, no account.
Download on the App Store