The magazine 60 million consumers analyzed the composition of more than 100 products from private label brands. If raw foods are just as high quality, the difference is major for processed products.
Low price = low quality? This is the question the magazine tried to answer 60 million consumers with its special issue (paid article). Despite inflation, the success of food products, often distributor brands, is still ongoing. Their sales increased by 20% in one year, compared to 4% for brands.
60 million of consumers conducted a survey to determine if what was good for the wallet was also good for your health. The association organized matches: Auchan flour against its rival Francine, Éco+ Leclerc shells against Panzani or even Top budget Intermarché steaks against Charal. Result: 50% victories for low prices… And the same for brands.
Reduce guarantees to lower costs
But not on all fronts! Mini-prizes win when the products are raw or almost raw. For example, sugar is beetroot: the Carrefour packet is worth the quality of Beghin Say, and it is half the price. This is also true for salt or for example for grated Gruyere cheese.
Conversely, the first prices are exceeded when they attack products derived from animals, which are naturally expensive. To reduce costs, animal welfare is put aside: laying hens are raised in batteries, there are also fewer guarantees on animal feed or even on fishing methods. They are less virtuous, for example for sardines.
When the recipe becomes complicated, the magazine examined products such as shortcrust pastry, fish croquettes and even pain au chocolat to determine their compositions. This is not the case for the number of additives, fatty acids, the quantity of fiber or even salt.
Yogurts, lasagna and white ham singled out
We must combat preconceived ideas according to Sophie Coisne, who piloted the special issue. “There are as many additives in Nutella as in low-cost products. In Lu’s little schoolchildren, there are six additives while in all the low-cost brands, we only have four”, figures the editor.
“It is not necessarily in the low prices that we find the most additives.”
Sophie Coisneat franceinfo
Some products are singled out by the magazine for their lack of transparency. For example, compared to the famous Flambi desserts, sugar caramel flans, the first prizes do not contain sugar but glucose fructose. A lesser known ingredient but not recommended for diabetes, since it causes blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Auchan thumb lasagnas are also singled out. They contain beef but also pork, which is much cheaper. This is not a health problem, but the consumer must be informed very clearly.
There is still a category of low-cost products denounced by 60 million consumers, it’s white ham. 100% of low-cost hams contain nitrites, suspected of being responsible for at least 4,000 colorectal cancers each year in France. However, nitrite-free ranges exist, but only from brands like Fleury Michon or Herta. The height of injustice is that they are twice as expensive.