Yuka study on the evolution of the number of additives in France

Author
Julie Chapon, Managing Director at Yuka

Abstract
The total number of additives in processed foods in France has decreased by an average of 7%. The reduction is even more significant for additives considered high-risk on Yuka (red dot), with a drop of 13%. This decline in the average number of additives is particularly striking in certain product categories, such as cereal bars (-28% in total additives, including -75% in high-risk additives) and ready meals (-42% in total additives, including -48% in high-risk additives).

Methodology

• The data was extracted from Yuka’s database as of March, 2025.
• The study was conducted on a total of 90,388 food products listed in Yuka’s database in 2025, and compared to 39,161 food products listed in Yuka’s database in 2025.
• A total of 173 product categories were excluded from the analysis, corresponding to raw products that rarely contain additives (e.g., fruits, vegetables, plain rice, milk, water, coffee, etc.).
• The overall figure includes products that have received at least 20 scans in France over the past 30 days.

Results