Instead of minced meat, many burger lovers are now turning to vegetarian or even vegan patties. The results of Stiftung Warentest show that this is not always good. Five well-known branded products contain harmful substances in critical quantities. We reveal what they are and which veggie patties you can buy without hesitation. Watch the video to see how McDonald’s veggie burger tastes.
Juicy, red, meaty: That’s what you expect from a burger patty. In terms of taste and appearance, meatless patties often come surprisingly close, as a sample from the Stiftung Warentest shows.
According to the magazine ‘test’ (issue 5/2021), every second vegetarian patty performs well. However, five products are conspicuously contaminated. test winner is the patty from “Beyond Meat” (test verdict: “good”). At just under 4 euros per pack, it is one of the most expensive test products.
The patties from also performed well and in some cases significantly cheaper Edeka “No Meat Just Burger”The Vegetarian Butcher, Garden Gourmet, Valess, Kaufland, Wheaty, Rossmann and Lotao.
However, consumers can only buy two of the best products in stores unchanged: the patties from Edeka and Rossmann. According to the supplier, test winner “Beyond Meat” is now being sold revised, just like The Vegetarian Butcher, Garden Gourmet and Lotao.
Veggie Patties: These products contain harmful substances
Four pollutants were found in critical quantities in the only product rated “poor”. Among other things, it is a potentially carcinogenic substance and mineral oil hydrocarbons.
They can accumulate in organs. Four other products received the pollutant rating “sufficient”, but in the test rating it was still enough for a “satisfactory”.
These veggie burger patties contain harmful substances in critical quantities
- Vegetarian burger from Iglo Green Cuisine with an overall rating of “inadequate” (grade 5.5)
Black Bean Cashew Burger vegan (organic) from Alnatura with an overall rating of “satisfactory” (grade 3.5)
Organic Jackfruit Burger from Nu3 with an overall rating of “satisfactory” (grade 2.9)
Burger Cashew Black Bean (Organic) from soto with an overall rating of “satisfactory” (grade 2.9)
Vegan Mühlen Burger Type Beef from Ruegenwald mill with an overall rating of “satisfactory” (grade 2.8)
That’s how healthy the vegetarian mince alternative is
In terms of taste, many vegetarian patties are an alternative to meat, but what about the nutrients?
A veggie patty has less protein and covers a third of a woman’s daily requirement. This is sufficient, since you still get protein from other sources.
The situation is worse with iron, which is important for blood formation. Soybeans and peas bring some iron into the patties, but the body is two to three times less able to absorb it from plants than from meat.
A tip: drink orange juice with food – vitamin C increases iron utilization.