Most have a high level of workmanship – 28 of 162 products are “good”
Vienna (OTS/VKI) – According to a study by the German market research institute POSpulse, animal welfare is the most frequently cited reason for avoiding dairy products, followed by environmental and climate protection as well as intolerances. But how healthy are milk substitute products and how do they compare to their animal counterparts? The Association for Consumer Information (VKI) has checked 162 vegan cheese alternatives (hard cheese, feta, soft cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese and quark) for their nutritional values (Nutri-Score) and the degree of industrial processing (NOVA). 128 products, and therefore the majority of the foods tested, received an “average” rating. 28 products received a “good” rating, 6 products received a “less satisfactory” rating. All details about the test will be available starting today in the May issue of the test magazine KONSUMENT and online www.konsument.at/veganer-kaese.
For the test, the nutritional profile and the degree of processing were recorded. In addition, the replacement products were compared with the respective product groups from the cheese segment, for example Emmentaler flavor slices with traditional Emmentaler or vegan Babybel with Mini Babybel made from cow’s milk. Conventional cheese tended to have a better Nutri score because of its protein content: 54 percent of vegan cheese alternatives ended up in the worst category “E”, while for dairy products it was only 8 percent.
Cheese substitute products are generally highly processed. With conventional products, there is a wider range in this area because in many cases fewer industrial processing steps are necessary. In the case of vegan cheese, for example, the consistency is created by thickeners or starch. Flavors are usually necessary for the taste. Only vegan soft and cream cheeses contain fewer additives. The majority (82 percent) of the cheese substitute products examined in the test were classified as highly processed foods with NOVA 4. “The remaining 18 percent can be assigned to NOVA 3 and is still okay for regular consumption,” emphasizes VKI nutritionist Birgit Beck. “In principle, it is still healthier to eat unprocessed foods.”
Coconut oil or shea butter are the main ingredients in around three quarters of the products tested. Palm oil is hardly contained in the products anymore, but coconut oil is viewed with similar criticism. Because growing coconut palms produces less yield per area – more water, pesticides and fertilizers are required. The high levels of saturated fat in coconut oil can also increase bad LDL cholesterol levels. “If you want to avoid coconut fat, you can use vegan soft cheese,” says Birgit Beck. “In most cases, this is based on cashew nuts and can in principle be made quite easily yourself. In this case, you also have control over the ingredients included.”
SERVICE: The test results and instructions for making vegan cream cheese and mozzarella are available at www.verbrauchent.at/veganer-kaese.
Questions & Contact:
Consumer Information Association
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presse@vki.at
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