I don’t think any other brand is as closely associated with “organic” as Alnatura. At least for me, Alnatura immediately brings to mind good organic products that you can buy without a second thought. But it seems that growth hasn’t passed Alnatura by without affecting quality.

What makes me say that? Of course, I haven’t conducted a large-scale investigation (though I will be looking more closely in the future), but I have a good example. We bought the Hummus Classic from Alnatura, which should be a very simple product. The use of the word “Classic” reinforces this impression. I’m the kind of person who likes to read the print on packaging while I eat, and thanks to ZDF besseresser (YouTube), I now pay close attention to the ingredients list.

That’s where the Alnatura Hummus Classic really surprised me. The second ingredient is water. I’ve made hummus myself before, and no recipe I’ve ever seen uses water. It doesn’t seem to make much sense, as two other ingredients reveal. Because of the cheap water, the hummus has to be thickened again with locust bean gum and cornstarch. Both are also very cheap ingredients, presumably intended to stretch the more expensive tahini (sesame paste).

Alnatura had always evoked positive feelings in me, until now. Even though it’s not really surprising, I wasn’t aware that Alnatura is now (or perhaps always has been?) a major player in the food industry. The ingredients may be certified organic, but that doesn’t mean the products are of particularly high quality. The usual food industry tricks can also be used with organic products, and Alnatura is using them. What a shame.