Notice of heavy weather on Yuka. The application, which notes the quality of the food, has been attacked by the French Federation of industrial pork butchers for “acts of denigration”. The Paris Commercial Court ruled in favor of the sausage and ham manufacturers.
Yuka was ordered to pay 20,000 euros in damages for “denigration” as well as “for deceptive unfair commercial practices”. The company will also have to pay 10,000 euros for legal fees.
The nitrites in question
In question, according to the lawyers of the pork butchers, “false claims, devoid of scientific basis, on the carcinogenic nature of nitrites in pork meats” and the petition calling for the ban of nitrite salts to which the application refers consumers, signed by Foodwatch, the League Against Cancer and Yuka.
“Our priority was for this link to disappear as quickly as possible, as was the assessment of carcinogenicity and high risk carried by Yuka as well as the call to ban nitrites”, explains Maître Nadège Pollak.
“We have matured this long-standing action”, explains Bernard Vallat, President of the FICT. “In this case, companies are suffering real damage even though they are in full compliance with the regulations. This is also why we asked for damages. “
The blow is hard for Yuka, who wants to appeal the judgment, but has not yet informed the Court. “We want to save time to prepare as well as possible for the next hearings”, explains Benoit Martin, co-founder of the app.
Multiple fronts
The case does not end there. The troubles continue for Yuka because, according to our information, after the action of the FICT which federates the butchers, a dozen companies in the sector have decided, on the basis of the estimated damage, to attack individually. Mont de la Coste and ABC alone are claiming one million euros in damages. Yuka changed lawyers and entrusted the defense of his interests to Maître Jean Reinhart, a tenor of the bar, for the future.
Yuka fears for his survival. “Two producers of cold meats are claiming more than one million euros in damages from us, knowing that our net profit in 2020 is around 20,000 euros. It is totally disproportionate and it clearly shows that they are trying to shut us down ”, pleads Julie chapon, co-founder of the app.
The application tried to dilute its responsibility in the case and especially to distribute the amount of possible convictions to follow, by assigning in “forced intervention” nine companies with apps of the same type – including Intermarché and Carrefour. These companies, which especially did not want to be involved in the case, obtained “the nullity of the summons” from the Court of Brive.
The first hearing will take place on June 25 at the Commercial Court of Brive facing the Corrèze company The Mont de la Coste, a sausage maker. Its 80 employees fear losing their jobs in view of the drop in sales, for which they blame Yuka.
Soaring sales
The app recognizes that it has a significant influence on consumer choice and estimates that “94% of its users have stopped buying certain products”. A second trial will take place a little later in Aix-en-Provence opposing ABC, producer of cooked ham, and Yuka.
Delicatessen companies, which belong to the group CA Catering and Cured Meats are exceeded. ” Enough is enough. We refuse to be treated as ‘poisoners’, although we scrupulously respect the regulations in force ”. “We lost sales because of Yuka. We are asking for compensation for the damage suffered, ”said the group.
Yuka changes purchasing behavior
Yuka claims 23 million users of his app around the world, half of whom are French. Six million are “regular” users. The founders estimate that 95% of its “customers” stop buying products that Yuka has branded and 93% rest products reported as containing additives considered dangerous, such as nitrite salts.
