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Stiftung Warentest tested Cola Nur four of the drinks well
Cola is still the most popular soft drink of the Germans. Young people in particular like to drink the caffeine-containing shower frequently. However, a study by Stiftung Warentest showed that many of the soft drinks contain undesirable pollutants and also have a very high sugar content. So only four of the 29 tested colas received the test grade "good".
Are you one of those people who like to drink cola often? Then you should read this article particularly thoroughly, because the Stiftung Warentest examined now 29 different colas on sugar content and contained pollutants. Cola drinkers are not particularly pleased with the results: only four of the products received the rating "good". In addition, undesirable pollutants were found in many colas. A coke even exceeded the legally prescribed alcohol limit. The experts now published the test results on their website and in the magazine "Test" (June 2016 issue).
If you like to drink cola, you are well aware that cola contains lots of sugar. But did you know that cola contains phosphoric acid and is often contaminated with unwanted pollutants? (Picture aglphotography / fotolia.com) Two colas in the test were rated "poor"
Stiftung Warentest examined 29 different colas and additionally Dr. med. Pepper, a drink that looks like cola, but is not a coke. The results of the test are certainly not very pleasing for cola drinkers. Only four of the tested products received the overall grade "good". The reasons for this were: The drink contains very high amounts of sugar, in addition, it was discovered in the test that many of the colas also contained undesirable pollutants, the experts explain. For a drink even an alcohol content could be found, which exceeded the statutory alcohol limit. Overall, two of the tested products completely passed the test and received only one "poor" rating. Most of the colas studied were rated "satisfactory". The rating "sufficient" was awarded five times, the researchers add.
Cola with sweetener wins the test
Cola variants sweetened with sweetener and thus sugar-free were rated best. The test winner among all the colas was Coca-Cola light (overall rating: good = 2.1). Then followed Coca-Cola Zero (total grade good = 2.4) and two cheap discounter products. First, Freid Cola Light by Lidl (overall grade good = 2.4) and then River Cola 0% sugar by Aldi Nord (overall rating = 2.5), say the experts from Stiftung Warentest.
Cola contains too much of the pollutant 4-methylimidazole
In the tests, especially the chemical quality of the cola drinks was criticized. For example, the typical brown of the drink almost always comes from the color sugar caramel. When it is produced a pollutant, this is referred to as 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), say the authors. In the EU, there is a limit to how much 4-methylimidazole may be present in caramel. However, it is not exactly regulated how much caramel may contain our food. In the United States, on the other hand, there is a guideline value of 29 micrograms per day. In three of the tested drinks, this limit is already exceeded, if we drink half a liter of liquid, warn the experts. With a Coke even smaller amounts were enough to cross the borders. With this drink, the limit was reached by the consumption of 0.07 liters.
Some colas tested contain chlorate and too much alcohol
Other colas contained chemical residues or too high an alcohol content. Residues of chlorate have been found in some drinks, this usually comes from cleaning agents or disinfectants, explain the researchers. In one of the products was also found a very high burden of chlorate. In the test, cola also contained too high an alcohol content. This was a clear violation of law, explained the goods tester. One of the tested colas contained three grams per liter. For soft drinks, however, only two grams per liter are allowed in Germany.
Half a liter of classic cola contains 16.5 pieces of sugar cubes
That cola has a very high sugar content, should be widely known. But how much sugar is actually in the caffeinated soft drink? On average, classic colas in a pint contain 16.5 pieces of sugar cubes. This sugar level is equivalent to the daily amount of added sugar recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). For this reason, the classic Colas received point deductions in the current test. Colas with a mix of sugar and Stevia sweetener have the advantage that sugar from other foods can still be absorbed before the recommended daily amount is exceeded, explain the authors. The test also showed that if colas, according to the ingredients directory, contain only sweeteners, they are actually completely sugar-free. However, a disadvantage of colas with sweeteners was that our sensory evaluation always tastes the sweeteners.
Kidney patients should avoid cola, phosphoric acid may endanger their health
Cola also contains a substance that gives the drink its sour-sparkling taste. We are talking about so-called phosphoric acid. High levels of phosphoric acid can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, warn the experts of Stiftung Warentest. For this reason, kidney patients should at best do without the soft drink. But a myth about cola could be clearly refuted, cola is not extremely corrosive. Cola is unable to break down a whole piece of steak overnight. (As)