LGL Tests 262 Barbecue Products: 97 Percent Passed Inspection
Vegetarian and vegan products passed all tests—while marinated meat showed isolated hygiene issues
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Late summer still offers days of nice weather and, with that, the occasional opportunity to fire up the grill. But can you safely put sausages, grilled meat, and grilled cheese on the grill? The Bavarian State Office for Health and food safety (LGL) asked itself this question and examined both meat-based and vegetarian and vegan grilling products this year. The good news for all barbecue lovers: In 254 (97 percent) of the 262 samples tested, there was no reason to doubt the safety of the food.
This applies not only to meat lovers but also to those who follow a meat-free diet. Among other things, the LGL experts examined 2,026 samples—including 11 barbecue cheeses and 12 other vegetarian and vegan barbecue products—to assess their quality. The result: None of the vegetarian or vegan foods were found to be substandard.
In addition, a broad range of 180 meat-based grilling products was analyzed sensorily as well as for animal species and quality, including bratwurst, steaks, fillets, and other cuts of meat for grilling, meat skewers, and other grilling products. Both loose and pre-packaged goods were examined. Result: Only one of these products—in this case, a pre-packaged item—had to be classified as already spoiled based on the sensory findings; two other pre-packaged products were rejected due to labeling deficiencies. An additional 59 samples of marinated barbecue meat from beef, pork, and poultry were also subjected to microbiological and sensory testing. The goal of these tests was to identify specific pathogens that indicate deficiencies in production hygiene or product expiration. The result: Five samples (8.5%) were rejected; of these, two products (both loose goods) were spoiled. Two additional products (prepackaged goods) were rejected due to hygiene deficiencies in production, and one other product (loose goods) was rejected due to an excessively high storage temperature.
Tabular Overview of the Tests
| Sample Type | Number of Samples | Number of rejected samples |
| Grilled meat products (sensory evaluation, animal species, texture) | 180 | 3 |
| Grilled sausages | 4 | 0 |
| Steaks, fillets, other cuts of meat | 130 | 3 |
| Meat skewers, shashlik | 32 | 0 |
| Other barbecue products | 14 | 0 |
| Grilled Meat Products (Sensory Analysis, Microbiology) | 59 | 5 |
| Vegetarian/vegan barbecue products (sensory evaluation, texture) | 23 | 0 |
| Grilled cheese | 11 | 0 |
| Vegan/vegetarian sausages | 8 | 0 |
| Vegan/vegetarian steaks | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 262 | 8 |
Tests on products suitable for grilling will continue in 2026. In addition, the LGL advises following important hygiene rules and avoiding the formation of undesirable substances while grilling. Red-cured sausage products (such as Vienna sausages, bockwurst, or Leberkäse) contain nitrite curing salt. When exposed to high heat above 150 degrees Celsius, these substances react within the meat. This produces nitrosamines, which are harmful to health and considered carcinogenic.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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