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Eco-test showed pollutants found in many cereals
For many Germans the day starts with a delicious muesli. But the different cereal mixtures are often not as healthy as they seem. The consumer magazine Öko-Test discovered harmful substances in many products when testing 16 cereals.
Healthy start to the day
Many German citizens come in the morning a delicious cereal on the breakfast table. But anyone who uses pre-mixes does not necessarily do good to his body. After all, some breakfast cereals are true sugar bombs, so the morning cereal can also make us fat. In addition, some cereal mixtures are contaminated with hazardous pollutants. This has now been determined by the consumer magazine Öko-Test.
The consumer magazine Öko-Test has taken a closer look at 16 basic cereals and discovered harmful substances in many of them. (Image: Timmary / fotolia.com) Best wholemeal products
The most important ingredient of a cereal is cereal flakes. Oats, barley, spelled and co. Ideally, the flakes should be whole grains. These provide especially valuable minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus or potassium.
In addition, they are full of important fiber. The healthy fibers help to stimulate digestion and prevent constipation.
Numerous manufacturers also pep up their cereals with ingredients such as amaranth, chia seeds and quinoa.
No health value
But do we really need well-traveled "superfood" for our morning cereal ?, asks "Öko-Test" and answers:
Amaranth, for example, which comes mainly from South and Central America, contains a lot of calcium, magnesium and protein. Even quinoa is healthy. The grains are rich in potassium, iron and protein - so for vegans quite a source of nutrients. The emphasis is on vegans:
"For mixed dieters, the benefits of amaranth and quinoa are rather negligible," explains Silke Restemeyer from the German Nutrition Society (DGE). However, a look at the list of ingredients always helps:
"Miniportions scattered over a muesli do not really contribute to a better nutrient supply," says Restemeyer. Because in most cereals are only two, three percent Amaranth or quinoa.
Domestic goods instead of exotic superfood
Why even wander into the ecologically questionable distance? "There is no added health value compared to domestic products," explains Rememeyer.
Even a cereal with local ingredients sufficiently meets the nutritional requirements. For example, oats and barley. Such cereal mixes protect your health.
Oatmeal contains almost as much protein as quinoa and amaranth, along with plenty of vitamin B1, as well as iron, magnesium, folic acid and zinc.
Flax seeds also make good in cereal: they have a particularly high content of omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain a lot of protein and folic acid as well as plenty of minerals.
Mineral oils and plant poison in food
Öko-Test now wanted to know what the quality of basic cereals is and has had 16 products tested for harmful substances.
According to the consumer magazine, almost all of the tested cereals are recommended, but unfortunately many mineral products have been found to cause harmful mineral oils:
In a total of ten varieties saturated mineral oils (MOSH) could be detected. According to health experts, MOSH can accumulate in lymph nodes, liver, spleen and fatty tissue and damage organs.
The European Food Authority EFSA classifies MOSH (mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons) as "potentially worrying".
Furthermore, the testers found in several products the pesticide glyphosate. This herbal toxin was classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "probably carcinogenic" the year before last, according to the latest findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Three cereals are "very good"
The contaminants had been found in both conventional and organic goods. Residues were found, among others, in products from Alnatura, Basic, Denree, Edeka, MyMuesli, Norma, Kaufland, Rossmann, Rewe, Netto and Globus.
In addition to the pollutants, some basic cereals also contained additional sugar. Despite the shortcomings, however, no product was rated worse than "satisfactory".
Three cereals were rated "very good" by the testers. These are goods from dm, Aldi Nord and Rapunzel.
The detailed test result of all 16 products can be found in the current issue (9/2017) of Öko-Test. (Ad)