Mueslis seem to be healthy, but in reality, some products sold in supermarkets are loaded with sugar and enriched with additives. The magazine UFC Que Choisir made this observation by comparing twenty mueslis.
The clothes do not make the monk and the box does not make the content: when you buy muesli in the supermarket, it is better not to trust those who claim to be healthy products. If the muesli recipe is healthy, cereals and fruits, its industrial version is frequently enriched with sugar, fats and other additives. UFC What To Choose compared 22 fruit mueslis sold in supermarkets in its november issuecurrently on newsstands.
The fruits, conspicuously absent from these blends
According to UFC What to chooseraisins are the only fruits present in the quantities promised on the muesli packaging. For the others, they generally represent less than 3% of the mixture and sometimes in surprising forms. In WK Kellogg’s apricot and pumpkin seed muesli, the list of ingredients includes formed apricots, i.e. the combination of apricot puree, concentrate and juice, apple juice and concentrate, rice flour, glycerin, pectin and lemon juice concentrate.
Too much sugar
Deciphering industrial product labels can be a real challenge. A muesli with no added sugar, which does not display sugar in its ingredient list, may contain it in other forms that are difficult to identify. For example, glucose syrup or barley malt extract are used to sweeten products. These are ultra-processed products: operations make it possible to break down the barley and obtain specific ingredients such as gluten or starch. According to UFC What To Choose, studies have shown that these substances increase blood sugar and may promote obesity. In 2018, the NutriNet-Santé study found a correlation between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer.
Added fibres: a false ally?
Industrial mueslis sometimes contain inulin, which are fibers artificially added to cereals. If they can stimulate the intestines and even reduce cravings, scientists have found that inulin is carcinogenic to rodents. If you really like muesli, UFC What To Choose advises organic products, and therefore without pesticides, rather based on oatmeal and without any added sugar, whatever its form. Crispy mueslis should be avoided because they generally contain more fat and additives.
[#Alimentation] #Mueslis : recipes sometimes stuffed with funny ingredients! https://t.co/kESHNgCKI6
– UFC-Que Choisir (@UFCquechoisir) October 24, 2019
.
