Stiftung Warentest (Berlin) tests squeezers. The fruit puree from the bags has an immense amount of sugar. Consumers are shocked.
- Stiftung Warentest examined 27 different fruit purees for children.
- These included the squeezers of the brands Bebivita, Rewe Bio, Spreewaldhof and Hipp.
- Alternatives to ready-made squeezers are also presented in the test.
Berlin - How do I make fruit tasty for my child? Many parents face this question in everyday life with their children . A funny, colorful look and easy handling can help. Properties that the so-called pinchies fulfill. At Stiftung Warentest , the fruit sauce bags have now been examined, as RUHR24.de * reports.
Stiftung Warentest (Berlin): How healthy are squeezers?
Squeezers are always practical: Especially when you're on the go, you can pack the packs in your pocket to save space . Many squeeze bags do not necessarily have to be kept in the fridge. But how healthy is it for my child if I prefer to put a finished fruit puree in front of him instead of a banana or an apple?
For children under the age of one, fruit-fruit mixes should generally be taboo, as advised by the nutrition commission of the German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ) in its statement on "complementary food products made from squeeze bags". An exception can be made for larger children. But even if toddlers only squeeze every now and then, there are a few things to consider.
Stiftung Warentest (Berlin) examines the sugar content in 27 fruit purees
Stiftung Warentest has therefore examined a total of 27 fruit purees , which are often offered in supermarkets as pure fruit mixes with apple and banana, sometimes with berries or more exotic fruits such as passion fruit. The testers compared the ingredient lists of the ready-made squeezers. Important aspects here: calorie content, sugar content, price.
Unfortunately, when it comes to sugar , the fruit jam pouches don't do particularly well with the experts. Some providers, such as " Rewe Bio Erdbeere & Birne ", advertise that they produce squeezers without added sugar . In fact, according to the Stiftung Warentest, many of the products checked do not contain added sweetness , yet they naturally contain fruit-derived sugar.
We found similar amounts of sugar as in classic cola in squeezers - plastic bags with mixtures of fruit puree for children. Our tip: Compare the nutritional information and pay attention to the low sugar content. Even better: cook yourself. https://t.co/Nx5Wl2YHJV pic.twitter.com/BpT5FkaFby
- Stiftung Warentest (@warentest) February 28, 2020Squeeze at Stiftung Warentest (Berlin) in the test: fruit puree contains as much sugar as cola
And not too short: The squeezers tested contain an average of 11 grams of sugar per 100 grams. This is almost as much sugar as a cola contains. It is added to the lemonade, but in both cases, one gram of sugar brings four kilocalories .
However, out of the 27 fruit purees examined, there are also outliers that contain even more sugar. The " Spreewaldhof Pfelino Apple Banana " squeezers even contain 16.5 grams of fruit's own sugar per 100 grams. Converted into sugar cubes , that would be a good five.
Advice from Stiftung Warentest (Berlin): Pinchies are still better than a chocolate bar
If it is supposed to be a snack for the little ones in between, the grip after a squeeze is still better than after a chocolate bar . A 45 gram bar contains more than 20 grams of sugar - twice as much as most squeezers . In its current edition (March 2020), Stiftung Warentest points out that the fruit sauce bags "should only serve as a meal supplement ", for example instead of pudding for dessert.
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Too much sugar is also dangerous for the teeth . According to the testers of Stiftung Warentest *, pureed food sticks to the teeth rather than solid fruit, for example - caries could be the result . Furthermore, the pinchies make you suck , another disadvantage of the fruit sauce bags. As the experts say in their test, it is important to practice chewing and thus to train the entire mouth and jaw muscles.
Squeezes cause children to suck - Stiftung Warentest (Berlin) warns
This training works better when toddlers just eat a piece of apple, pear or carrot. The development of the jaw muscles also contributes to children's language acquisition .
And what about the price of the squeeze tested? The investigation by Stiftung Warentest shows that the bags can be very expensive. The price is between 40 cents and 1.10 euros per 100 grams of fruit puree. For comparison: A Hipp glass of "Mango Banana in Apple" costs 63 cents per 100 grams , the same amount as a strawberry-banana-in-apple squeeze from Hipp 20 cents more .
Stiftung Warentest (Berlin): Reusable squeeze bags as an alternative
Another important aspect is that the finished fruit purees in the bag cause a lot of garbage. Reusable squeeze bags are a good alternative, as they can be filled many times with home-made or fruit pulp from the bulk pack. likri
* RUHR24.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
