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17.01.2019 - Foods

Stiftung Warentest: Meatballs

In the Stiftung Warentest issue of January 2019, a total of 22 mini meatballs were tested, including one organic product. 17 were made from pork, beef, or a mix of both, and five from poultry. Below is a summary of the test parameters:

• Sensorics at the expiry date - prepared cold and warm (appearance, texture in hand (only cold), smell, taste, and mouthfeel (only warm))
  One poultry meatball had a tough texture and smelled and tasted slightly sour.
• Meat quality
  The contents of muscle protein and fat, as well as the connective tissue percentage in the meat protein, were determined.
• Contaminants
  The meatballs were tested for mineral oil components MOSH/MOSH. One poultry meatball was highly contaminated with mineral oil hydrocarbons.
• Microbiology
  The products were examined for total germ count, spoilage, and disease-causing germs. The poultry meatball, which already stood out sensorically with a slightly sour smell and taste, showed high germ counts of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, both spoilage organisms.
• Packaging
  Among other things, it was evaluated how the packages open, reseal, and allow the contents to be removed, as well as whether information about the packaging material is available. Furthermore, for the indication “packed in a protective atmosphere,” the composition of the protective gas was checked.
• Declaration
  The completeness and correctness of the legally required labeling elements were checked, as were preparation and storage instructions, portion and piece count information, legibility, and clarity.
• Miscellaneous
  The meatballs were tested for a total of 24 animal species, including horse, sheep, kangaroo, dog, and cat. All meatballs contained the species indicated on the packaging.

Frequent devaluation or unsatisfactory scores were particularly due to:

• Some ready-made meatballs are advertised with the claims “delicacy” or “premium quality,” but they contained too little muscle protein based on the guidelines for raw minced meat according to guidelines for meat and meat products.
• One product advertises “homemade style according to an old recipe,” but according to the ingredient list, diphosphates are included as a stabilizer.
• Two meatballs contained significantly more salt than indicated on the packaging.

For more detailed information about the test series, you can refer to Stiftung Warentest issue No. 01/2019.

In our Tentamus laboratories, we conduct these investigations regularly. We provide you with fast and reliable results.
For questions, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.
 

Source: Stiftung Warentest issue No. 01/2019: www.test.de