Eco test
Vegan Fish Sticks: Better without fish?
Are vegan fish fingers the better alternative?
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Fish fingers without fish are something new. At least there are fewer fat pollutants here than in animal products. But are they really better? “Ökotest” can only recommend two sticks.
The list of ingredients is not very appetizing: rice flour, soybean or wheat protein, and at least two products also include vegetables. There may also be fats, emulsifiers, stabilizers, preservatives or added vitamins. And: Almost all veggie sticks help with the taste with flavorings. At least there is no animal cruelty involved here, but the vegan fish stick is a highly processed product.
“Eco test” subjected twelve vegan fish finger alternatives to her meticulous test and can ultimately only recommend two products: the vegan sticks from the Iglo “Green Cuisine” line (1.39 euros per 150 g) and the vegan sticks from Kaufland (1.73 euros ). What’s wrong with the others?
Better for animal welfare, worse for health
When it comes to the taste of most products, one can only guess that they are supposed to be fish sticks. A striking number of germs have spread in the Bofrost and Gutfried brand chopsticks. Overall, Gutfried was the loser in the test: “They were most heavily contaminated with mineral oil components (MOSH/MOSH analogues), which can accumulate in the body, and use diphosphates as raising agents. In the long term, phosphates can damage the kidneys or change the inner walls of the vessels,” writes “Ökotest”. The chopsticks from the brand belonging to the Tönnies meat company failed with “insufficient”. They are no longer on the market either.
Anyone who reaches for veggie sticks is doing something for animal welfare. But as far as the pollutants are concerned, the testers found some carcinogenic fat pollutants in the breading of the vegan sticks. Even if there were fewer than the animal models. On the other hand, the testers found signs of contamination in two products, not an issue with the “real” fish fingers. When it comes to health, fish beats the vegan alternatives because it contains valuable omega-3 fatty acids that are only found in fish and algae.