Salmon bowls in the test: test winner from the supermarket

For the test, eight colorfully filled bowls with raw salmon from restaurants and pubs as well as a supermarket in Linz, Wels, Steyr, Pasching and Haid were brought to the Belan Civil Engineering GmbH laboratory. There, the experts tested the products for germs such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts and assessed the appearance, taste, smell and texture of the individual components.

The microbiological-hygienic status was assessed using various microbiological guideline and warning values ​​from the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM). For the overall summary assessment, the consumer advocates also took into account legitimate consumer expectations.

In the tested bowls of Spar (“Eat Happy Poke Bowl Salmon”) and Dean & David (“Salmon Avocado Bowl”) were both sensory and microbiological excellent quality.

You can find the entire test here:

In addition, three other products were also found to be okay, but they had an increased number of enterobacteria. They are considered so-called hygiene indicators and, if there is an increased occurrence, usually indicate a possible hygiene deficiency. In addition, the testers also found slight sensory deficiencies in the smell and taste of individual ingredients in two of these samples.

Two products reduced in value

Two of the bowls tested were classified as impaired. They contained an increased number of hygiene indicator germs as well as yeasts. In one case, bacteria of the species Escherichia coli – an important indicator organism for fecal contamination of food – were exceeded. These salads didn’t score highly in the tasting either. Among other things, the rice tasted musty and the testers disliked the smell of the salmon.

“Unfit for human consumption”

One sample was classified as “unfit for human consumption” due to the severity of the defects. On the one hand, the microbiological test results showed that bacteria of the type “Bacillus cereus” exceeded the warning values. They can potentially cause gastrointestinal illness. On the other hand, the sensory examination also produced an unpleasant picture. In detail, the vegetables were mushy and the fish and rice tasted old. The wakame algae smelled so rotten that the experts refused to taste it.

The prices for a bowl in the test fluctuated between 1.19 euros and 3.17 euros per 100 grams. Bowls are prepared cold or lukewarm according to a kind of modular principle. Rice, quinoa or couscous are usually used as a basis, while fish, meat, tofu or legumes provide protein. Various vegetables and fruits are layered as a source of vitamins. Finally, the whole thing is rounded off with a dressing and garnished with colorful toppings such as sprouts or roasted seeds and nuts.