Once again, the alert came from the users.
In the process, the Foodwatch association decided to look into the question: what are so-called “light” mayonnaises really worth?
A subject of circumstance, in this period of excessive barbecues ... One month after having explored the subject, peeled the recipes, contacted customer services, and tested 20 different mayonnaises (ten normal and their ten “light” counterparts from the same brand) , the results are there: "humbug", sums up the association for the defense of consumers.
Because of course, low-fat mayonnaise contains less fat - this is also why they are called light - but their nutritional quality has not improved, quite the contrary.
First observation noted by Foodwatch: lower in fat, these mayonnaises are on the other hand sweeter - sometimes even up to three times in the case of Auchan.
Another annoying fact: they are saltier than their classic counterparts - more than twice as much, for example at Bénédicta.
On these specific points, the Amora brand is justified as follows: "Added sugar and salt are essential to balance the taste with the acidity of cottage cheese", an ingredient specific to Amora L'Onctueux mayonnaise, light in matter fatty.
Eight of ten do not improve their Nutriscore
"In fact, as we reduce the fat and this removes the taste, the brands have chosen to add sugar and salt to spice up these sauces", explains Camille Dorioz, Foodwatch campaign director, all the more annoyed that most brands have also happily extended their light versions with ... water.
Result of this “manipulation”, light mayonnaise Amora, Auchan and Système U place water at the top of their ingredients.
“When we called consumer services, four out of ten confirmed to us that part of the oil is actually replaced by water,” emphasizes Camille Dorioz.
“In the end, and not surprisingly, given the composition of the recipes, eight of the ten low-fat mayonnaises that we studied keep the same Nutriscore, or
an E
, as their traditional counterparts,” he concludes.
Only Amora and Bénédicta manage to collect a D in their light version.
"
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If again, with fewer noble ingredients (oil, eggs, mustard, etc.) in their recipe, these lighter sauces were less expensive ... but by peeling the prices online, Foodwatch discovered that five brands had instead done the choice to inflate their prices: the lighter version is notably more expensive at Auchan, U, Amora and especially Bénédicta (the latter is 51% more expensive).
"Effect of opportunity", sanctions Camille Dorioz, for whom doubt is no longer allowed: "In these cases, there is really scam on the label.
Conversely, some brands are playing the game, by lowering the price of their light mayonnaise - this is the case at Leclerc.
"Distributors are free to set the desired price"
The Foodwatch association plans to launch an online petition this Thursday to protest against these practices, but also to ask brands to justify their prices to consumers.
Regarding the high cost of their low-fat mayonnaise, Amora is justified: "We do not set prices as a supplier and distributors are free to set the desired price for our products which they resell".
Asked, the Auchan sign does not raise the annoying question of price, but emphasizes that since there is more water in the light version of its mayonnaise, "it is necessary to add more salt and more vinegar", and that "the addition of sugar is made to compensate for the acidity provided by the greater quantity of vinegar".
Neither System U nor Bénédicta answered our questions.
