Cheap meat salad became test winner

Stiftung Warentest examined meat salads from different manufacturers

30/09/2012

The consumer protection organization „Stiftung Warentest“ examined the quality of various meat salads. Low-cost salads were good to very good for the testers. Although criteria were meat quality and price, but not the origin and animal husbandry.

According to a small study by Stiftung Warentest „Good meat salad does not have to be expensive“. In the in-house magazine „test“ (Edition 10/2012) the results were presented. Accordingly, products that cost in some cases less than 26 cents per 100 grams, scored top marks. „Those for 22 to 26 cents per 100 grams of the examined meat salads from sausage, cucumber and mayonnaise are the best“, so the resume of the testers. The cheapest product cost 22 cents and the most expensive 1.33 per 100 grams.

Top marks for discounter meat salads
Top grades received above all the meat salads of the discount supermarket and supermarket chains. The most expensive sausage salad was still with the note „Well“ thought, but cost more than one euro per 100 grams. Among the 24 test products were also four light salads.

According to the results of the study, the tested meat salads had an average fat content of 25 percent, which is why the salads are not exactly part of diet products. One serving (100 grams) can contain over 400 kilocalories. Meat salads posing as „reduced fat“ declare at least 30 percent less fat than conventional pork sausage salads. In order to realize this fat content, most food manufacturers use instead of mayonnaise a dressing consisting of a yoghurt sauce and instead of pork sausage, poultry meat.

Taste, smell and quality are crucial
In the test, the experts studied the taste, appearance, smell, percentage of germs, fat and salt content, quality of ingredients, packaging and ingredient labeling. It was not tested where the meat came from.

The old consumer saying „Quality does not have to be expensive“, According to Stiftung Warentest, it should fit here. With the grades 2.1 and 2.2, the traditional meat salads of Rewe (Yes), Aldi (Wonnemeyer) and Lidl (Vitakrone) cut off. The grade 2.3 reached the salads of Aldi Nord (Ofterdinger), Penny (Primakost) and the brand manufacturers Nadler and Schloss Küche.

The products of Lidl (Linessa) and Weight Watchers performed best on the reduced-fat meat sausage salads. The brand manufacturer „You may“ would have occupied a very good place for taste reasons actually. However, the meat salad got only the grade „Satisfying“ because the fat content was 22 percent higher than that declared on the packaging (18 percent). Accordingly, a portion of „You may“ instead of 150 to 200 to 248 calories. „Consumers must be able to rely on packaging information“, so the hard judgment of the Stiftung Warentest. With calorie-reduced food products in particular, consumers set a high standard for the fat content of the product. Therefore „the information must be correct.“

Best meat quality through high quality ham sausage
Special importance was attached to the meat quality of the products during the test. The light salad of „Weight Watcher“ could this one „very well“ to reach. For the testers, meat quality meant high quality Lyoner or ham sausage with a high content of muscle meat. Of lesser quality is the often used boiled sausage, which in most cases is made from pork with low muscle content.

No mechanically separated meat detected
The testers rated as positive that no salad had so-called MSM. In this method, the meat is released from the bones with a machine. This process may possibly contain nerve tissue in the sausage. Since the BSE scandal this procedure is considered as „risky“.

Two meat salads contained yeast, none however pathogens
In all products no dangerous germs such as Salmonella were found even after the expiry of the minimum shelf life. In earlier times, mayonnaise was considered risky because the eggs used often had bacteria. Also the used meat offers on its surface a good possibility for germs to multiply.

All manufacturers have been using only previously heated eggs for some food scandals to make mayonnaise. „So no bacteria like salmonella can get into the mayonnaise“, say food experts. In fact, the testers found no significant pathogens in laboratory studies. Only two salads of the companies „Kuhlmann“ and „Pfennings“ had low after the expiration date, „but unhealthy amounts of yeast on“. That's a sign that „the meat salads are about to spoil“, say the testers.

Meat salads with additives
All ready-to-eat foods contain additives, albeit in small numbers, than they did before. All salads used preservatives, thickening and antioxidants. Some of the salads also used artificial sweeteners, colors and flavor enhancers. None of the products tested exceeded the prescribed EU levels.

Consumers should pay attention to special markings when buying, as pointed out by the consumer foundation. Notes on the package like „Delikatess“, „Fine“ or „finest quality“ show that the meat salads have a higher meat sausage content than 25 percent. Whether the meat itself has a better quality is not proven by these statements. „A derivation of better meat quality can not be deduced“, so the testers.

Origin of meat products did not matter
Critics complain that in addition to the quality and price test is not researched where the meat comes from. The cheaper the meat, the worse the animal husbandry. Because to keep the meat salad cheap and thus competitive, the meat must come from factory farming. „The main problem of factory farming is the suffering of the animals“, says animal rights activist Birgit Höpfner. „They are densely crowded in mostly dark stables, get non-species-appropriate food and get sick from stress. The consumer tester do not pay attention, but even rate cheap prices as pluses“. (Sb)

Image: Hartmut91016351a2cc0b08c03p>