The deception of light mayonnaise: diluted, full of salt and up to 330% more sugar

The NGO Foodwatch analyzed 10 brands of light mayonnaise, discovering that it is a product rich in sugar, salt and watered down

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There are many "light" products on the market that attract consumers who are more attentive to the line as they are low in fat. In some cases, however, to compensate for what is removed, they are loaded with other unhealthy ingredients such as sugar and salt. This is what happens for the light mayonnaise.

To point the finger at light mayonnaise in France is the NGO Foodwatch which has been fighting for years to unmask the deceptions of the food sector.

This time, the team analyzed 10 brands of light mayonnaise sold on the French market. It consisted of:

Blackberry
Auchan
Benedicta
Buttercup (Intermarché)
Carrefour
Cora
Devos & Lemmens
Monoprix
Rustica (reference brand of E. Leclerc stores)
Super U

For each brand, the labels of the traditional mayonnaise and the light version were compared. It was thus discovered that the latter have a composition that is questionable to say the least.

The results

The results showed how light mayonnaise is generally much richer in sugar (it can be up to over 300%), salt and often water.

The problem is that, removing the fat part, the product loses its taste and therefore it is exaggerated with salt and sugar to make it palatable anyway like the classic mayonnaise. In the most extreme cases, it is a product that is up to 4 times sweeter and up to 2 times saltier than the classic version and even watered down.

Mayonnaise was also evaluated on a nutritional level through the Nutri Score, a French system that classifies foods with a score ranging from A to E. In the case of light mayonnaise, 8 products obtained a D.

In short, the light one is a type of mayonnaise that only gives the illusion of being healthier.

The deception of light mayonnaise: diluted, full of salt and up to 330% more sugar

@Foodwatch

All this, among other things, against a cost that in some cases is higher than that of traditional mayonnaise.

Foodwatch reports that 5 brands are selling their diluted mayonnaise at a higher price. These are Amora, Auchan, Bénédicta, Devos & Lemmens and Super U:

The tube of light mayonnaise by Devos & Lemmens wins the first prize of the scam with a cost almost double (5,89 euros per kilo) of the 'simple' one (3,07 euros per kilo - price observed in 10 Carrefour units in Belgium) . On the French side, Bénédicta wins with its mayonnaise almost three times sweeter, twice as salty at a price of 50% more expensive!

Following this survey, a petition was also born asking companies to change their recipes. The light mayonnaise should not contain greater quantities of salt and sugar and the price differences are not justified if we consider that the most expensive ingredients of its composition (eggs, mustard, oil) are in smaller quantities.

This test teaches us that it is good not to give too much weight to the word "light": you must always read the label and the nutritional table.

Fonte: Foodwatch France