With almost 10 kilos per head per year, Germans are among the biggest chocolate fans in Europe. However, a test by ÖKO-TEST shows that well-known brands in particular contain problematic ingredients such as mineral oil. We’ll show you the test winner and reveal which products you should keep your hands off of.
The chocolate industry celebrates the high season at Christmas and Easter. But for the rest of the year too, Germans are big chocolate fans. On average, everyone eats almost 10 kilograms per year – this puts Germany just behind the chocolate nation of Switzerland. But which chocolate is actually the best?
Some time ago, ÖKO-TEST examined 25 whole milk chocolates in more detail. In addition to inexpensive discounter and supermarket products, the laboratory also examined well-known brands such as Lindt, Milka and Ritter Sport as well as six organic products (Edition 12/2019). In addition to ingredients, taste and appearance, the chocolates were also rated for transparency and cocoa production.
The result shows: none of the chocolate scores “very good” in the test. Two get the rating “good”, including an organic product. Five tested chocolates are still “satisfactory”, a further eleven are “sufficient”. Six milk chocolates fail with the rating “unsatisfactory”, and one product is only rated as “unsatisfactory”.
Chocolate put to the test: Ritter Sport & Rapunzel at the top
The two chocolates rated “good” shared first place Rapunzel dark whole milk hand in hand and the Ritter Sport Alpenmilch. Both can score in terms of ingredients and taste. The well-known Ritter Sport chocolate, however, receives deductions because the supply chains are only partially occupied and the Fairtrade minimum price for cocoa cannot be proven.
Otherwise, ÖKO-TEST cannot fault the two test winners. The well-known and popular competitors from Ritter Sport do much worse.
Milka, Lindt, Alpia and Co .: Well-known brands fail
The test reveals that not all chocolate should be bought without hesitation. In some well-known brands, the laboratory shows a very high content of mineral oil components in some cases. Also frightening: The manufacturers of the popular chocolates receive the rating “unsatisfactory” in terms of transparency and cocoa production. Here, in some cases, supply chains cannot be documented, and prohibited child labor can be ruled out. There are two organic products among the products that fail the test. So it falls Dennree whole milk chocolate also in the Transparency and Production category. While that is not the problem with the Dm organic whole milk chocolate Naturland, but it does not pass the ingredient test. The laboratory finds greatly increased mineral oil values in the chocolate and chlorinated compounds in the packaging. Both score “poor” in the test.
The losers in the test include the following brands, which score only “poorly”:
- Alpia Alpine milk chocolate
- Lindt Whole milk made from whole alpine milk
- Milka Alpine milk
- Princess Feodora Very fine whole milk
the Hachez dark whole milk fails with “insufficient”. You can take the detailed test read for a fee at ÖKO-TEST.
Also Stiftung Warentest has already tested whole milk chocolate, you can read how the products fare here with us.