Tofu in the Öko-Test: Twelve of 22 natural tofus convince with "very good" - Aldi product takes last place
Created: 11/28/2022, 3:00 p.m
By: Stella Henrich
Öko-Test magazine tested 22 natural tofus.
Aldi's product comes off badly in the investigation.
Twelve can convince the consumer advocates with "very good".
Munich – First and foremost, the natural tofus score with what they do not contain: and these are pesticide residues, genetically modified organisms, but also mold toxins or mineral oil components.
In its special edition “Vegetarian and Vegan”,
Öko-Test
explains the topic of tofu – good, healthy and GMO-free.
There were also no additives or flavors in the 22 natural tofus tested.
Twelve tofus even received the grade “very good” in the “Öko-Test”:
Berief organic tofu nature (Naturland)
Organic organic tofu, firm (net)
Dennree tofu natural
DM Organic Tofu Natural
Edeka Bio My Veggie Tofu Classic
Ener Organic Tofu Natural (Rossmann)
Lord of Tofu Natural Tofu, fermented by Kombucha
Nagel Nigari Natural Tofu (Tofu Manufactory)
Rewe organic vegan tofu nature, Naturland
Typhoon tofu nature
Vantastic Foods Organic Tofu Natural, AVE - Absolute Vegan Empire
Vemondo Organic Tofu Natural (Lidl)
Natural tofu is tasteless, but can be prepared and seasoned in many ways.
For example with chili, herbs or nuts.
(Iconic image) © Katharina Hild/imago
The majority of the tested tofus are therefore recommended.
Incidentally, the natural product tofu is purely vegetable, mostly organic and is mainly made from soybeans.
The beans come from organic farming in Europe.
In addition, unlike animal feed, according to the consumer advocates from Öko-Test, no rainforest has to be cleared by fire.
Genetic engineering is completely absent in their production.
What is tofu?
The basic ingredients of
tofu
are soybeans and water.
In addition to high-quality protein, these also provide fiber, B vitamins and minerals.
For tofu, crushed soybeans are boiled with water and filtered.
The addition of calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride coagulates the soy milk obtained in this way.
The excess liquid is then removed by pressing.
Firm, dry tofu
is similar in texture to cooked meat.
But there is also
soft tofu
that is spooned out like pudding.
Natural tofu is tasteless, but can be prepared and seasoned in many ways.
Consumer Center Bavaria
Tofu in the Öko-Test: Substances not declared, leads to deduction of points
According to Öko-Test, there is too much aluminum in a product.
The problem is that soybeans absorb a comparatively large amount of this metal.
In the judgment, the testers deducted points for this and in the overall judgment two grades were lower.
In addition, the high salt content in a tofu product is criticized.
And manufacturers who did not declare their substances such as Epsom salt Nigari, magnesium chloride, calcium sulfate and tea fungus kombucha on the packaging also had points deducted.
Two providers justify this by saying that the agents in the end product no longer have any technological effectiveness.
The working group of food chemistry experts disagrees.
The experts call for a corresponding labeling.
Justification of Öko-Test for the deduction of points in the absence of labeling of coagulants
also read
Molds, heavy metals, carcinogens: devastating test results for four oatmeal brands
"Just ridiculous": Kaufland and Lidl pay employees a bonus of 40 million euros
Tofu in the Öko-Test: Aldi product scores worst
Incidentally, the worst rating is for the "My Veggie Day Vegan Organic Tofu Natural" from the food discounter Aldi.
The testers explained that the reason for the "satisfactory" rating was the product's high aluminum content.
On the other hand, the results for vegan sausage are much worse.
Here even two thirds of the sausage substitute products fail the Öko-Test with “poor” or “insufficient”.