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Stiftung Warentest Many cheap margarines are also good
An investigation by Stiftung Warentest has shown that good margarine does not have to be expensive. In their test, many cheap margarines from retail chains have scooped high marks. However, not all are suitable as a spread.
Margarine in the test
"Roast, bake, cook, spread - margarine is versatile," writes Stiftung Warentest on its website. The per capita consumption in Germany is about five kilos per year. The experts have now taken a closer look at 19 margarines. Their test showed: Recommended are only those in which the recipe is correct and hardly contain any pollutants. The judgments range from "good" to "poor".
Stiftung Warentest has taken a closer look at 19 margarines and spreadable fats and found that good quality does not have to be expensive. (Photo: exclusive-design / fotolia.com) Good grades for cheap products
In the test were Vollfettmargarinen with a fat content of at least 80 percent and spreadable fats with a lower fat content of 70 to 75 percent.
"For sizzling in the pan, all can be used, shows the Brattest. As a spread but not every one would be a treat: During the tasting smelled a bit cheesy and slightly stuck in the mouth, "write the testers.
Eight products make good grades, including many low-cost margarines from retail chains such as Aldi or Netto. However, three products received only one "sufficient" and one failed with "poor".
Low saturated fats and many omega-3 fatty acids
The good margarines contain, according to the Stiftung Warentest the right mixture, which makes up a healthy fat spread: low saturated fats, many omega-3 fatty acids.
"In terms of fat composition, all products in the test are slightly healthier than butter, and ten are significantly healthier. Margarines, which contain a lot of rapeseed, sunflower or linseed oil, are especially convincing, "say the experts.
Less recommendable are products with many saturated fats from coconut or palm fat. However, only a few margarines in the test still rely on such formulations.
Herbal alternative to butter
The oecotrophologist and author Dagmar von Cramm explains in a note from the news agency dpa that margarine is the herbal alternative to butter.
The vegetable oils from which it is made therefore provide the body with valuable unsaturated fatty acids that the body can not self-form and which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Margarine contains important omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamin D. According to Cramm, you should take turns margarine and butter on bread.
As stated in the dpa report, margarine used to contain health-damaging trans fatty acids. However, according to the expert, the manufacturers would now make sure that this is no longer the case.
Loaded with the pollutant glycidyl ester
However, margarine may be contaminated by the pollutant glycidyl ester, which according to Cramm may be carcinogenic.
And: "Glycidyl esters can change the genome," writes Stiftung Warentest. "To date, the fat pollutants can not be completely avoided: they were in all products in the test, but in most of them in very small quantities."
As Cramm explained, glycidyl esters are formed in the refining of oils. "Because margarine is usually made with refined oils, stress can not be ruled out."
Since only cold-pressed oils such as rapeseed oil are barely contaminated, she recommends: "You should prefer margarine based on rapeseed oil."
butter or margarine?
The general question as to whether butter or margarine is healthier is, among other things, associated with the discussion about good and bad cholesterol. Meanwhile, even products are available that contain both butter and margarine.
And in some cases, margarine additives are added, which should have a health-promoting effect, such as to lower the cholesterol level.
Such substances are often disputed, among other things, the so-called margarine dispute between the food company Unilever and the consumer protection organization Food Watch. (Ad)