With almost 10 kilos per capita every year, the 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 show you the test winner and reveal which products you should better keep your hands off.
The chocolate industry celebrates high season at Christmas and Easter. But the rest of the year, too, Germans are big chocolate fans. On average, everyone eats almost 10 kilograms of it per year – Germany is only just behind the chocolate nation Switzerland. But which chocolate is actually the best?
Some time ago, ÖKO-TEST examined 25 whole milk chocolates in more detail. In addition to cheap 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 evaluated in terms of transparency and cocoa production.
The result shows that no chocolate scored “very well” in the test. Two secure the rating “good”, including one organic product. After all, five chocolates tested are still “satisfactory”, and another eleven are “sufficient”. Six milk chocolates fail with the rating “poor”, one product is even only “insufficient”.
Chocolate in the test: Ritter Sport & Rapunzel at the top
The two “good” rated chocolates shared first place Rapunzel dark whole milk hand in hand and the Ritter Sport alpine milk. Both can score in terms of ingredients and taste. However, the well-known Ritter Sport chocolate is deducted because the supply chains are only partially covered and the fair trade minimum price for cocoa cannot be proven.
Otherwise, ÖKO-TEST cannot fault the two test winners. The well-known and popular competition from Ritter Sport fared much worse.
Milka, Lindt, Alpia and Co.: Well-known brands fail
The test reveals that not every chocolate should be bought without hesitation. In some well-known brands, the laboratory shows a very high level of mineral oil components. Also frightening: The manufacturers of the popular chocolate collect the rating “insufficient” in terms of transparency and cocoa production. In some cases, supply chains cannot be documented here, nor can prohibited child labor be ruled out. Among the products that do not pass the test are two organic products. That’s how it falls Dennree milk chocolate also in the transparency and production category. That’s not the problem with the Dm organic whole milk chocolate Naturland, but it does not pass the ingredient test. The laboratory found strongly increased mineral oil values in the chocolate and chlorinated compounds in the packaging. Both cut off in the test “inadequate”.
The losers in the test included the following brands, which only performed “inadequate”:
- Alpia Alpine whole milk chocolate
- Lindt Whole milk from alpine whole milk
- Milka alpine milk
- Princess Feodora Fine whole milk
the Hachez Dark Whole Milk fails with “insufficient”. You can take the detailed test Read it for a fee at ÖKO-TEST.
Also Stiftung Warentest has already tested whole milk chocolate, you can read about how the products perform here.