Stiftung Warentest Bio is not necessarily better

According to Stiftung Warentest, organic foods are not necessarily healthier than non-organic products.

(01.06.2010) Organic foods are more expensive and give the consumer a good feeling. However, the results of the eight-year quality study by Stiftung Warentest also show other results. So organic foods are not always necessarily healthier than conventional products. In total, the Stiftung Warentest had carried out 85 food tests in the last eight years.

In the study, the following criteria were particularly important in the evaluation of the products: how much pollutants are contained in the food, what is the taste, are germs included and how is the environmental protection in the production and packaging complied with. The price also played a major role in the evaluation.

To begin with, organic products are no worse than conventionally produced products. But consumers actually assume that at least organic products are always significantly better. A big disadvantage of organic products is clearly the high price. Thus, individual products were up to 50 percent more expensive than the same "normal" goods. But unbeatable organic products continue to be in the field of pollutant pollution. Fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables often scored "very good" in this category. In 75 percent of the products, no residues of plant protection products could be detected. Also, the organic producers would use more for environmental protection. Organic whole milk products and seasoning oils achieved top scores in all tests.

But the products of conventional manufacturers are getting better. This is above all a result of the success of the organic goods. More and more manufacturers refrain from artificial aromas and unhealthy preservatives. For example, it was observed that conventional products were more cost-effective and, on the other hand, that they were able to compete well with bioproducts on the rating scale, or even that they were rated the same.

Conclusion of the results: Basically, healthier or more tasteful organic products are not always. In both categories, ratings were given as "very good" but also "poor". Who spends more money on organic products, cares mainly for the environment and calms the social conscience. Organic producers refrain from factory farming during production, care about organic farming and trade with partners on a "fair" basis. "Fair" in this context means that, for example, coffee farmers actually benefit from the higher price of the product. For in six out of seven organic coffees tested, the higher price was actually passed on. For fresh products such as fruits and vegetables or milk, organic products in taste and ingredients are well before. For other organic products, consumers should first check whether a higher price is actually justified. All other results can be read in detail in the new issues of "Stiftung Warentest". (Sb)

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