They are practical and - one might think - relatively healthy. But actually finished fruit salads are, according to the NDR consumer magazine "market" rarely safe to enjoy.
In five out of seven products from supermarkets, discounters and bakery shops, the number of intestinal germs, yeasts or molds is said to have been higher than the warning values or guideline values of the German Microbiological Society according to a random sample. The salads were therefore no longer edible at the time of purchase.
In a discounter product were according to "market" both the total germ count and the yeasts and intestinal bacteria above the warning value and can thus trigger diarrhea. In the fruit salad from a supermarket, mold was found in the laboratory. These can produce carcinogenic poisons.
In addition, the production and consumption date should not have been noted on some cups. The temperatures, which should not be more than seven degrees Celsius at purchase, were exceeded significantly in six out of seven products. For pregnant women, elderly and pre-existing people with weak immune systems, all of these factors could pose risks.
The sellers of the fruit salads responded differently to the research according to "market": Two suppliers had withdrawn their products immediately from the sale. A bakery announced that in the future, they would generally refrain from selling fruit salads.
Final report on the Wilke scandal is expected
In Germany, there are always finds of alarming germ levels in food. In the particularly severe case of the sausage company Wilke a new development is expected on Monday.
In the meat scandal surrounding the Hessian company, Minister of the Environment Priska Hinz from the Greens wants to present her final report. In products of the manufacturer were repeated Listeria germs have been detected, which can be life-threatening in weakened immune system. Three deaths and 37 illnesses have been linked to Wilke products, most of them affecting older people
