The leading sausage brand in supermarkets contains as little as 42 per cent pork – the least allowed by law.
Richmond pork sausages have the lowest pork content, yet at £4.41 a kilo, are nearly three times pricier than some.
Consumer watchdog Which? looked at ingredients in 41 brands and found pork content varied from 97 per cent to less than half that. And it says price was not always a reliable guide.
Just ahead of Richmond were Sainsbury’s and Asda’s, which both had 51 per cent. But at £2.20 per kg, they were half the price of Richmond’s, says Which?
Aldi’s Specially Selected British Outdoor Bred were 97 per cent pork and cost £4.73 a kilo – nearly half the price of Good Little Company’s Great Big Sausages, which had the same amount
of pork.
The cheapest were Lidl Simply Pork at £1.60 a kilo, with 53 per cent pork – 11 per cent more than the Richmond variety.
Products sold as “pork sausage” only have to contain 42 per cent meat. More than half can be filler such as flour, preservatives and water.
The probe comes after the first rise in sausage sales in four years, with an extra 4.4million packs sold in 12 months. The revival has been driven by new healthy options and artisan versions with gourmet ingredients.
The findings come after industry figures showed sausage sales have risen for the first time since 2015, up four per cent to £672million in the past year.
Spending on bangers increased by more than £27million.
Which? said: “If you want the best for your barbecue, don’t assume the most expensive will have the most meat.”
The watchdog said that while pork is pricier than sausage fillers such as rusk, more pork doesn’t always mean a tastier sausage.
Russell Aqeel, butcher from The Ginger Pig, said: “Those containing rusk hold their form better and the rusk absorbs pork fats and juices released during cooking.
“The fat can drip out of higher 97 per cent pork sausages, leaving them feeling dry.”
For the best barbecue banger, Russell advises going for a sausage that contains at least 75 per cent pork.
