Consumer protection

Salmon bowl was so horrible that testers went on strike

Bowl dishes - food from bowls - are enjoying unbroken popularity. A good reason for the AK consumer protectors to take a critical look at bowls with raw salmon. In the case of one bowl, the experts partially rejected the tasting due to the smell alone . . .

For the test, eight colorful bowls filled with raw salmon from restaurants and pubs as well as a supermarket in Linz, Wels, Steyr, Pasching and Haid were brought to the laboratory of Belan Ziviltechniker-GmbH. There, the experts tested the products for certain germs such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts and assessed the appearance, taste, smell and texture of the individual components. The microbiological-hygienic status was assessed using various microbiological guideline and warning values from the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM). For the overall assessment, the experts also took into account justified consumer expectations. 

Two manufacturers delivered top quality
The bowls tested from Spar ("Eat Happy Poke Bowl Salmon") and Dean & David ("Salmon Avocado Bowl") were of excellent quality in terms of both taste and microbiology.

A further three bowls met the quality requirements 
In addition, three other products were also found to be OK, but they had an increased number of enterobacteria. These are regarded as so-called hygiene indicators and generally indicate a possible hygiene defect if they are present in high numbers. In addition, the testers also found slight sensory defects in two of these samples with regard to the smell and taste of individual ingredients. 

Two productswere classified as impaired 
 Two of the bowls tested were classified as impaired. They contained an increased number of hygiene indicator bacteria as well as yeasts. In one case, the guideline value for Escherichia coli bacteria - an important indicator organism for faecal contamination of food - was also exceeded. These salads also failed to score well in the tasting. Among other things, the rice tasted musty and the testers disliked the smell of the salmon.

One bowl did not pass the test
One sample was classified as "unfit for human consumption" due to the severity of the defects. On the one hand, the microbiological test results showed that bacteria of the species Bacillus cereus exceeded the warning value. Under certain circumstances, they can cause gastrointestinal illness. On the other hand, the sensory analysis also provided an unpleasant picture. In detail, the vegetables were mushy and the fish and rice tasted old.

Disgusting
The wakame seaweed smelled so bad that the experts refused to taste it.

According to the modular principle
The prices for a bowl in the test ranged from 1.19 euros to 3.17 euros per 100 grams. Bowls are prepared cold or lukewarm according to a kind of modular principle. Rice, quinoa or couscous are usually used as a base, while fish, meat, tofu or pulses provide protein. Various vegetables and fruit are layered as a source of vitamins. Finally, the whole thing is rounded off with a dressing and garnished with colorful toppings such as sprouts or roasted seeds and nuts.  

You can find the entire test at ooe.arbeiterkammer.at/konsumentenschutz