Ocado loaf. Copyright: anon, with permission
Wholemeal sourdough? Oca-doh!
Real Bread Campaign challenges online retailer over naming of loaves.
On 6 February 2025, a microbaker alerted the Real Bread Campaign to a loaf made using non-wholemeal flour being marketed as 'Ocado Wholemeal Sourdough', mooting: ‘I'm pretty sure this is misleading and illegal.’
The law
The Bread and Flour Regulations (1998) require that: 'There shall not be used in the labelling or advertising of bread, as part of the name of the bread, whether or not qualified by other words […] the word 'wholemeal' unless all the flour used as an ingredient in the preparation of the bread is wholemeal.’
The loaves
Ocado lists the products’ ingredients as Wholemeal Wheat Flour (65%), Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Soya Flour, Wheat Flour, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid). [500g loaf]
Wholemeal Wheat Flour (62%), Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Soya Flour, Wheat Flour, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid). [800g loaf]
Sourfaux
The Campaign has written to Ocado, asking the company to advise whether they will be resolving this issue by removing either the non-wholemeal flour from the products, or the word wholemeal from the products' names and marketing.
The Campaign also asked the company to remove the E300 (ascorbic acid) from the product, or rename it, as additives are not used in making genuine sourdough bread.
Updates
26 February 2025: A member of Ocado's customer service team replied: 'This has been raised to the website and product team but they would not come back with a response I do apologise but I can assure you it has been raised on your behalf.'
26 February 2025: We contacted Ocado again to ask when we can expect answers.
19 February 2025: We contacted Ocado again to ask when we can expect answers.
6 February 2025: A member of Ocado's customer service team replied: 'Thank you for your comments. I will forward these over to our website team for consideration.'
See also
Real Bread Campaign: Finding and sharing ways to make bread better for us, our communities and planet.
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