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Veggie Sausage: Only 6 Products “Good”

Veggie sausage or other meat substitutes are not only trendy among vegetarians and vegans, even “meat-eaters” like to use alternatives. Stiftung Warentest tested 20 meat-free products – with a disappointing result: only six of the 20 meat imitations tested received the test result “good”. Worrying mineral oil residues have been found in some products. EAT SMARTER has the test winner and the loser.

Veggie sausage and Co. in the test

Stiftung Warentest examined 20 meat substitute products for its current October issue. From seitan schnitzel and veggie sausage made from lupines to soy meatballs, the entire range of veggie products was examined. Of the 20 foods tested, eight products were bratwurst imitations and six other products were meatless meatballs and schnitzel.

In addition to established branded products, discounter goods were also tested with regard to animal DNA, harmful substances, additives, and protein and fat content. The test verdict: Only six meat substitutes were rated “good”, and the majority received the grade “satisfactory”. For five of the eight veggie sausages examined, it was only enough for the rating “sufficient”. One of the tested escalopes failed completely with the grade “poor”.

The test winners and the losers

The following products scored “good” in the test:

  • Veggie sausage and veggie schnitzel from Valess (both 2.0)
  • Bratmaxe veggie grill from Meica (2.2)
  • Vegetarian meatballs from Rügenwalder Mühle (2.3)
  • Vegan soy schnitzel from Edeka Bio+Vegan (2.4)
  • Meatball vegetarian from Heirler (2.5)

The big loser in the test is the veggie schnitzel from Rügenwalder Mühle. During the investigation, 400 milligrams of mineral oil components per kilogram were detected in the product. So it’s no wonder that the “Schnitzel” came last in the test with a poor rating.

According to the Stiftung Warentest, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) classifies the found mineral oil hydrocarbon Mosh (Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons) as “potentially alarming”. Mineral oil was also detected in five of the eight veggie sausages tested but in significantly smaller quantities.

Contaminants of Concern and Critical Ingredients

How do pollutants get into these veggie products? One reason for the increased mineral oil content may be white oil, which is used as an auxiliary in production, reports Stiftung Warentest. In addition, there is still no limit for Mosh.

The legume soy, which is particularly popular with vegetarians and vegans, can also be a critical component. In the main cultivation country, Brazil, the rainforest is being cleared for cultivation areas, and there are also genetically modified plants.

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Food

How Healthy are Veggie Chips?

Stiftung Warentest found out that most vegetable crisps contain too much fat, sugar, salt, and sometimes even harmful substances such as acrylamide. We have frightening results at a glance.

Vegetable chips as an alternative to potato chips?

Potato chips are popular for a reason: they’re crispy and flavorful and once you start, it’s hard to stop. Unfortunately, they are considered one of the unhealthiest snacks of all.

For some time now, supermarkets have been offering vegetable chips made from beetroot, carrots, or sweet potatoes as a healthy alternative. Stiftung Warentest tested 15 chips from different brands and came to the conclusion: Unfortunately, they are no healthier than potato chips. Only three products get good marks.

Critical substances spoil the snacking fun

The vegetable content in fried vegetable chips is often between 60 and 70 percent, which sounds good at first. However, the fat content is 28 to 37 percent and is, therefore, higher than in conventional potato chips. With 100 grams of vegetable chips, you eat almost 30 to 40 grams of fat.

In addition, vegetable chips have a high salt content and lots of natural sugar. The acrylamide and nitrate content was also criticized. The value was particularly high for vegetable chip mixes with sweet potatoes, as well as for carrots and lentils. In animal experiments, both substances were carcinogenic and mutagenic.

Vegetable chips are also healthy

If you want to avoid all the harmful ingredients found in vegetable chips, but are still a big fan of the crunchy snack, we have the solution: make your own vegetable chips. This gives you control of what’s in your snack and you can get really creative. We have tried a few recipes for homemade vegetable chips and think that this healthy variant is really impressive.

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