Kerrygold butter was germinated - investigation is negative

30 types of butter on the test bench

For breakfast, supper, cooking and baking - many Germans do not let the butter take their bread. Stiftung Warentest tested 30 butters in the current issue and came to the following conclusions:

• Every second butter did well in the test.
• The test winners are from the commercial class "German branded butter".
• Kerrygold's brand butter was the only one to fail in the test.
• Kerrygold's sweet cream butter is contaminated with germs, according to Stiftung Warentest.

Anyone who stands in front of the butter shelf while shopping is often spoiled for choice. From German brand butter over Irish butter, from organic to conventional, salted or unsalted to sweet cream or sour cream - the whole is still available in reduced fat. Stiftung Warentest is now trying to bring order to butter chaos with the butter test in its current issue. 30 types of butter were tested, including 15 mild-acid butter types, 13 sweet cream and two sour cream butters. Well-known brands such as Kerrygold, Landliebe or Weihenstephan were also represented in the test.

The butter is in the current issue of Stiftung Warentest on the test. Half of the tested varieties were convincing. (Image: Africa Studio / fotolia.com)

Overall, a positive result

Overall, the test result is positive. 15 of the tested butters were able to perform well with the grade. Twelve types of butter went satisfactorily out of the test. Two varieties still cheated with sufficient results. Only a butter was not recommended. As test winner, two mild-acidified butter varieties of the commercial class "German branded butter" prevailed.

The black sheep in the cow herd

The original Irish sweet cream butter Kerrygold could not convince with the grade poor. The main reason for this is a very high number of germs that could be detected in the laboratory. According to Stiftung Warentest, the type of germs suggests a lack of hygiene during production.

Edeka sweet cream butter was also not convincing

The testers also found germs in the sweet-cream butter from Edeka that indicate a lack of hygiene. While not to the same extent as the Kerrygold butter, vulnerable people should prefer to switch to other products. The Edeka butter came with the note enough of it.

The magnificent cows on the meadow

However, Edeka also showed that he is doing better. Because one of the test winners among the mild-acidified butters is the Edeka "good and cheap" butter. This was among less than 1.60 € per pack and the cheapest in the test and thus shares the first place with the "Sachsenmilch" butter, which is significantly more expensive. Even with Rewe, the cheap "yes" butter prevailed over the more expensive competition from "Weihenstephan" or "Berchtesgadener Land".

Butter from happy cows

In the organic sector of the sweet cream butter, the Rewe organic butter was able to convince as a test winner and thus scored better than products of the companies Denree, Meggle, Real and Aldi Nord. In the category sour cream butter experts from Stiftung Warentest advise on the butter type "Alnatura".

Execution of the test

Contrary to the official butter test Stiftung Warentest tested the types of butter at the end of the best before date. The testers took a close look at sensory properties such as appearance, smell and taste as well as possible pollutants and germs. In addition, the spreadability, packaging and declaration had an influence on the test grade.

Butter is better than her reputation

Butter is very popular. Every German eats around six kilos of it each year. Butter used to be harmful because of its high cholesterol content. Although it is actually two-thirds saturated fat, Stiftung Warentest points to long-term studies and recent research that acquits the butter.

Consumer advocates have shown that many of the saturated fatty acids in butter do not affect the ratio of "bad" LDL cholesterol to "good" HDL cholesterol in the blood, nor increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In addition, butter contains important minerals and vitamins A and E. (vb)