Negative Golden Windbag Award goes to fruit snack for children from Alete
Even if the sugar in the snack is only fruit sugar, Foodwatch stated that this should not be evaluated better than household sugar in processed products. Unhealthy eating in childhood can lead to serious health conditions such as Type-2 Diabetes in later life. The consumer organization called on the German government to introduce advertising restrictions on junk food for children's protection and to extend this to packaging design.
The manufacturer of the Alete product, the dairy conglomerate Deutsche Milchkontor (DMK), responded to Foodwatch's criticism and stated that there is an "accumulation of natural (fruit-)sugar" in the fruit gums. The company classifies the fruit gums as a "sweet snack" and not as a fruit supplement. According to the label, children should only consume one portion, which is a handful of fruit gums per day. This corresponds to five grams of the snack per day. The information is supposedly "transparently listed in the nutritional information".
Five food items were nominated by the consumer organization for the Golden Windmill award. In second place, with just over 27% of the votes, was the Cremissimo Bourbon Vanille Ice Cream from Langnese. Foodwatch considers this to be "particularly cunning example of shrinkflation". The manufacturer Unilever reduced the packaging size from 1300 milliliters to 900 milliliters but kept the price of 3.99 Euro. The consumer organization therefore speaks of a price increase of 44%.
Unilever responded to the nomination upon request from the news agency AFP, stating that the company reacts to the increasing demand for smaller product variants in its range with the reduced content size. The 900-milliliter packaging is a solution for households with lower ice cream demand or smaller freezers. Prices were also adjusted throughout the Cremissimo product line and took into account several factors, "including recipe improvements and the use of sustainable raw materials".
In third place was the vegan Mortadella from Rügenwalder Mühle. Foodwatch considers the labeling "misleading" because the product contains only two percent sunflower protein.
Rügenwalder sees no deception of consumers in this, as the company explained. The packaging always lists the ingredient that replaces meat as a nutrient provider. This does not necessarily have to be the ingredient with the largest proportion. The vegan Mortadella received 11.1% of the votes.
Pretty Little Meal Bar from Offset Nutrition came in fourth and fifth place with 2.9% of the votes, and the Hot Cup Champignon Cream from GB Foods Deutschland came in fifth place with 2.2% of the votes. Foodwatch criticized Offset Nutrition for marketing its bar particularly in social media as a "meal replacement". In reality, it contained almost five sugar cubes. The "Hot Cup Champignon Cream" contains too little vegetable content in Foodwatch's opinion.
Foodwatch awarded the Golden Windmill for the 13th time. The consumer organization has been engaged in labeling fraud for a long time and calls for improved labeling regulations.
The fruit snack in question, namely the Alete product, contains a 'natural (fruit-)sugar' accumulation as per the manufacturer's defense against Foodwatch's criticism. The Golden Windmill award nominees included a 'vegan Mortadella' from Rügenwalder Mühle, with Foodwatch finding the labeling 'misleading' due to its low sunflower protein content. The 'Pretty Little Meal Bar' from Offset Nutrition was criticized by Foodwatch for misrepresenting itself as a 'meal replacement' with a high sugar content. Unilever, the maker of the Cremissimo Ice Cream, reduced its packaging size while keeping the price, leading Foodwatch to label it as 'shrinkflation' and a 'price increase'. Lastly, the Federal Government was urged by the consumer organization Foodwatch to impose advertising restrictions on junk food for children's protection and extend this to packaging design.
