For the ninth year in a row, the Food Scam of the Year is presented.
The anti-price is appointed by the consumer association Äkta vara.
– It is definitely the case that the manufacturers are listening to this, states Björn Bernhardson, operational manager of the Consumer Association Äkta vara.
– The price is a way for the Swedish people to put their foot down when the law is not quite enough, says Björn Bernhardson, operational director of the Consumer Association Äkta vara.
“Without added sugar” – but as sweet as caramel sauce
One of the finalists, Frebaco mill roasted granola, is to be a product “with no added sugar”. In any case, if you are to believe what is written on the front of the package. But in fact, the granola has actually been sweetened with a syrup made from oats. About half of the oat syrup consists of sugars – which makes it about as sugary as caramel sauce. The result is that the sugar content in the granola lands at 12 grams per 100 grams. Which cannot be said to be very low.
Another product is Coop’s calf fund. Despite being a concentrated stock, it contains only 0.4% veal – in the form of veal powder. However, it contains all the more of other things. Surprisingly, chicken skin, chicken meat, chicken broth but also so-called veal rum, yeast extract and a lot of other things. If you didn’t think that 0.4% was a bit much, you should remember that the concentrated fund must be diluted about 20 times before it is used.
“Home-baked” – but not baked in someone’s home
Perhaps you have seen the bread ICA Hembakat at some point? That bread is baked in a factory in Halmstad and sold in stores around the country. That it is homemade is simply not true.
Disappearing little apple in the apple pie
Eldorado’s apple cake does indeed contain 13% apple filling. But the apple filling consists almost entirely of sugar, water, additives and flavoring. The manufacturer has hidden the amount of apple further down the list of contents. After listing the ingredients and the allergens that the product may contain traces of, you can read that there is only 0.9% apple in the cake. So less than 2 grams in the entire package – or only half a gram per cookie. Vanishing little apple, in other words.
Every year, Äkta sees to it that the goods that were included in the previous year are over. And according to Björn Bernhardson, roughly 50% of companies stop scamming, remove the scam or remove the product.
– The usual thing is to change the packaging so that it is not a scam, notes Bernhardson.
The finalists for Food Scam of the Year 2023
1. Frebaco mill roasted granola – with added syrup
2. Coop veal stock – with a pinch of veal powder
3. Ica homemade – Do they live in the factory?
4. Ica licorice stick – but without licorice
5. Eldorado apple cake – half a gram of apple
6. Latitude 65 Norrsken – without the taste of Norrland
Previous winner of the Food Scam of the Year
2015 – Valio’s lactose scam
2016 – Lallerstedt’s truffle béarnaise
2017 – Polarica’s Red Deer Shave
2018 – Light Original
2019 – Alpro Cuisine soya whisk
2020 – Pop! Bakery Puff pastry
2021 – Arla organic milk with the “Net zero carbon footprint” campaign.
2022 – GB Big pack