Phenomenon ski plant
Consumer advice center warns of 40 products with new, cheap ingredients
The consumer advice centers warn “Skiing”. Here, manufacturers of food reduce the proportion of high -quality ingredients. Is your favorite product too?
It is often difficult to recognize in the supermarket if the composition of your own favorite muesli changes unexpectedly. The Hamburg Consumer Center sees a trick to deceive customers. Some manufacturers replace more expensive ingredients such as meat, butter or hazelnuts with cheaper alternatives such as water or flavors, the association criticizes. This phenomenon is as “Skiing” designated.
“Consumers seem to buy the same product, but get less quality for money”explains Armin Valet, food expert at the consumer center. As long as the changed composition is correctly specified on the packaging, this practice is legal. “This is interesting for manufacturers when raw materials become more expensive.” The sales price usually remains unchanged.
This week, the consumer center has published an updated list of affected products. Below is also the “Favorite nut nougat cream” from Netto, in which the hazelnut share fell from 20 to 13 percent. An inquiry to the Discounter chain Netto initially remained unanswered.
Only looks like 100 grams: Milka makes chocolate smaller and more expensive
Milka “Alpine milk”
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For the ketchup of the Kaufland-own brand KClassic, 73 percent of twice concentrated tomato paste is now used 72 percent simply concentrated. Recipes would be adjusted regularly, the supplier changed at the beginning of the year, the retail chain said. Sensory tests have confirmed that the product corresponds to the expectations of customers.
The consumer advice center has published a complete on its website. Here is a selection:
- Yes! Bolognese with minced meat: In the past, there were 20.7 percent beef here, now it is only 16 percent. The manufacturer claims that this has improved the sensors.
- Knorr gourmet lemon butter sauce: In this product, the proportion of butter was reduced from 25 percent to 10 percent. This is a simple one “Recipe adjustment”explains Knorr.
- KClassic (Kaufland) tomato ketchup: In the ketchup of the own brand, a double -concentrated tomato paste with simply concentrated tomato paste was exchanged. The reason: a change of supplier.
- Milkana creamy light: With this melting cheese product, the proportion of the basic ingredient was reduced. If 65 percent cheese were still included in the old variant, it is now only 42 percent. Optimization of the ingredients and sensors are the reasons, says the manufacturer.
- Jacobs 3 in 1: These instant coffee sticks contain only 1.2 grams of soluble bean coffee in the new variant, before that it was 1.44 grams. Jacobs says that the product was in the course of the “Health & Indulgence Programs” optimized.
- K-Bio chocolate-crunchy muesli: The product of the own brand of Kaufland is less chocolate in it, previously 15.5 percent, now only 12 percent. For this, the proportion of whole grain flakes has increased. Basically according to the manufacturer: competitiveness and the best possible taste.
- Poté beef goulash: Here the proportion of the basic ingredient fell by a quarter to 31 percent. They wanted to improve the taste experience and have fulfilled customer preferences, says the manufacturer.
- Penny and yes! Beverage syrup orange: In this syrup from the discounter, savings were particularly massively saved on the ingredients. If the fruit content was formerly 60 percent, it is now only 28 percent.
Industry association defends manufacturer
Another example is that “Gourmet lemon butter sauce” From Knorr. In it, the butter share was reduced from 25 to 10 percent. Consumers should now add five grams of butter themselves. The Unilever food company did not respond to a request from the dpa.
The melting cheese “Milkana creamy light” was also included in the list. Here the cheese content dropped from 65 to 42 percent. According to the manufacturer Savencia, the change is said to have improved the quality. Less cheese is included, but but also butter. The fat content is higher than before. According to a spokeswoman “Now even more delicious”.
The general manager of the food association Germany, Christoph Minhoff, rejects the allegations. What is denounced as a ski plant is “A necessary reaction”for example to heavily increased raw material prices, disturbed supply chains, new legal requirements or voluntary self -commitments such as reducing sugar, fat and salt.
Consumer center: information such as “New recipe” lead into miser
The list of the Hamburg Consumer Center comprises around 40 cases. According to Valet, the actual number should be significantly higher. He calls on customers to report affected products. Notes like “New recipe” or “Improved recipe” Be misleading and reason enough to become skeptical. The problem: only those who compare the old and new list of ingredients notice differences. “But no one raises old products or knows their recipes”so Valet.
Consumer advocates are calling for a clear and mandatory labeling of changes in recipe. According to Valet, it happens that there are also package sizes, often at the same price. That is called “Shrink flation” – and is rarely disclosed by manufacturers.
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The cereal producer Kölln chose a different path. The company recently announced that it reduces the filling quantity of chocolate mueslis-at the same price. This was justified, among other things, with the greatly increased cocoa price. The packaging should be marked accordingly.
Dpa
LPB
Source: Stern
