published14. September 2022, 20:52
Organic wins“Saldo” tests ketchup – Heinz fails, Swiss alternatives win
The popular “Tomato Ketchup” from the US company Heinz came last in the “Balance” test. Two organic ketchups from Switzerland came out best.
This ketchup from Connie’s Kitchen from Hagendorn ZG won the “Balance” test with a score of 5.2.
Screenshot von connieskitchen.ch
Naturaplan’s reduced-sugar organic ketchup took second place in the ranking with a score of 5.1.
Screenshot von coop.ch
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Organic ketchup came out top in the test conducted by the consumer magazine “Saldo”.
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Six of the 11 non-organic ketchups tested contained pesticide residues.
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Often there is also a lot of sugar in it – many people probably don’t know that, says a nutritionist.
You can see it at almost every barbecue party: the “Tomato Ketchup” from the US company Heinz. In a ketchup test by “Saldo”, however, it did the worst: grade 3.3 – rating “insufficient”.
“Saldo” tested 16 ketchups and rated five as “insufficient”, five as “sufficient” and six as “good”. The two Swiss ketchups performed best: the test winner “No added sugar” from Connie’s Ketchup (grade 5.2) is available from Alnatura, the second-placed ketchup from Naturaplan (grade 5.1) is sold by Coop.
That’s why organic ketchups perform best
Four of the five ketchups with organic tomatoes took the top spots in the test. Only the organic ketchup from Heinz did not perform well with a grade of 3.6 and only managed fourth place.
According to “Saldo”, organic ketchups are better because there are more tomatoes in them: the seasoning sauce from Connie’s Kitchen from Hagendorf ZG had 14 percent tomato dry matter, the Heinz organic ketchup only seven percent. Six percent of the dry matter corresponds to regarding 100 grams of fresh tomatoes.
Ripe tomatoes make all the difference
“Saldo” had the ketchups tested in Germany and the sugar content and proportion of the plant substance lycopene (see box) determined. According to the conclusion, ketchups made from ripe tomatoes are best for the immune system.
The plant substance lycopene prevents cardiovascular diseases, strengthens the human immune system and protects tomato cells from the sun’s rays. The higher the tomato content, the greater the amount of lycopene. Ripe tomatoes contain more lycopene than unripe ones because they have been in the sun longer.
The organic ketchups also performed best when it came to lycopene: those from Naturaplan and Don Antonio contained between 220 and 230 milligrams of the plant substance per kilogram in the test. According to “Saldo”, the conventional ketchups from Heinz, Denner and Coop’s Prix-Garantie line contained just under half as much lycopene.
pesticide residues and sugar
Often there is also a lot of sugar in it, most of all in “Tomato Ketchup” from manufacturer Wilkin & Sons: 33 grams per 100 grams of ketchup. Naturaplan’s organic ketchup contains over 16 grams per 100 grams, although the bottle says 12 grams. Sugar can lead to high blood pressure, tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.
Coop wants to check the sugar content of Naturaplan organic ketchup. Connie’s Kitchen writes that no sugar is used, only dates, apples and pumpkin. Ketchup also contains more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
Six of the 11 non-organic ketchups contained pesticide residues: the labs found spirotetramat, propamocarb, and tebuconazole. Spirotetramat can impair fertility and harm the unborn child, propamocarb is considered a neurotoxin and tebuconazole is suspected of promoting cancer.
“Organic is worth it”
“Many people are probably not aware that there can be a lot of sugar in ketchup,” says Melanie Indergand, nutritionist at the cantonal hospital in Uri. They are not surprised by the pesticide residues: Since chemical pesticides are often used in tomato cultivation, such residues are possible. Pesticide residues have also been detected in ready-to-eat tomato sauces.
Indergand points out that you can also make ketchup yourself. That way you know what’s in there. It is not surprising that the organic ketchups performed best: “It is usually worthwhile to go for organic.”
