Who has never fallen for a piece of sausage as an aperitif? Almost everyone. But if this charcuterie seduces with its ease of use and its unifying character, it nevertheless remains very bad for your health. Here are four sausages, analyzed by Dr Jean-Michel Cohen in his latest book “The Buying Guide to Eating Well”.
Sausage, a product rich in fat, salt and additives
Is this a real surprise? THE sausage is undoubtedly the most caloric cold meats in the supermarket. With 460 calories per 100 grams, it is also high in saturated fat.
“The problem is that we often consume it in large quantities in France, particularly during convivial moments.”admits Raphaël Gruman, nutritionist.
Eating sausage regularly could therefore cause weight gain but also increase our risk of cardiovascular disease (the saturated fats and salt it contains do not go well with our blood pressure).
“Our most beautiful regions are full of charcuterie specialties which are an integral part of French culinary heritage. However, most are rich in lipids (up to more than 40% for certain sausages) and salt, which requires moderation in consumption.“, also confirms Dr Jean-Michel Cohen, nutritionist.
So many good reasons to completely eliminate this cold meat from your diet – or to avoid, if necessary, the worst sausages on the shelves.
The 4 sausages to no longer buy at the supermarket
On the list of false good ideas, Dr Jean-Michel Cohen points out 4 products to avoid.
Justin Bridou mini shepherd’s stick 100% chicken
Chicken meat (EU or non-EU origin), palm fat, lactose, salt, dextrose, flavorings, antioxidant… The sausage here does not live up to its name: there is nothing artisanal about it.
“Chicken meat whose origin is unknown, coated in palm fat, oversalted and all sprinkled with additives. Certainly, this product is less fatty than the plain mini-sticks, but the quality leaves something to be desired”, confirms Dr Jean-Michel Cohen.
Caesar Moroni Pure Pork Mild Chorizo
With its 498 kcal per 100 grams, the energy intake of this chorizo is chilling. In addition, its recipe remains ultra chemical.
“Promoting a product without coloring, gluten and added flavors, of course, but the origin of the meat is poorly defined and the preservatives remain present. The comparison with the Herta product is clear. We can do better for a chorizo! The protein-lipid ratio is also unfavorable!”, warns the medical expert.
Herta cooked garlic sausage
For once, the meat intake is significant (pork meat 93.9%). But the glucose syrup and preservatives are once again too present.
“While competition is rare on garlic sausage, we realize that little effort is made by the manufacturer: polyphosphates, nitrite, coloring… It’s a shame, because the basic recipe for this product allows for a low-fat and low-salt charcuterie. It would be easy to do better!”, regrets the doctor.
Poultry mortadella with Réghalal olives
Fat, poultry skins, water… Looking more closely, the recipe proposed here doesn’t really tempt you.
“While Réghalal® offers some good quality products, such as beef sausage, here the product contains very little meat, part of which is mechanically separated, therefore of low quality, and additions of skin. There are numerous additives and we barely reach 12% protein. warns Dr. Jean-Michel Cohen.
Which sausages should you ultimately favor?
The nutritionist doctor set his sights on four sausages which stood out for their quality meat (mainly from French pigs) and their limited additive content:
- White rocks natural dry sausage;
- Cochonou curved sausage;
- Old-fashioned curved dry sausage blue and white heart Father & son;
- Herta hot chorizo.
Something to occasionally treat yourself, without guilt!