Wholemeal law breakers?
Real Bread Campaign finds ‘fortified’ flour in products sold as wholemeal by six of the UK’s ten largest supermarket chains.
The Real Bread Campaign has found that the ingredients listed for a number of own-brand ‘wholemeal’ products sold by Aldi, Asda, The Co-operative, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose include wheat flour with added calcium carbonate, niacin, iron and thiamine. It is only mandatory to add these ‘fortificants’ to white and other non-wholemeal wheat flour.
Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young said: “The absence of the word wholemeal before this ingredient in each product’s ingredients list, and the addition of so-called fortificants to it, suggests to me that it is not wholemeal flour.”
Section 6 of The Bread and Flour Regulations (1998) requires 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 Campaign has written to the CEO or an executive director at each company, asking if all of the flour in their own-brand products is wholemeal and, if not, when the company will be changing either the recipes or names, in accordance with the Regulations.
Young added: "This matters because shoppers need to be sure that supermarkets are neither breaking the law or using misleading marketing. People shouldn't have to flip a loaf over to check if the manufacturer has diluted the wholmeal flour with something less wholesome."
Loopholes
A number of the products include non-wholemeal wheat flour as one of the last ingredients on their lists, extra wheat gluten and/or refined flours of soya, barley etc. In 2012 the Campaign raised such dilution of wholemeal flour as a possible breach of Article 6 of the Regulations. You can read details in our report: A Wholegrain of Truth?
See also
Please help fund the future
The Real Bread Campaign needs YOUR help to crowdfund the publication of Bake Your Lawn. [This crowdfunder has ended]
This grow-a-loaf handbook is being written to help teachers, parents and others guide children on the Real Bread journey from seed-to-sandwich and make additive-free, 100% wholemeal bread from as few as three ingredients.
It will also encourage children (and their attendant adults) to ask questions about what goes into the food they buy and eat.
The companies and products
This activity is a non-comprehensive look at own-brand products, manufactured by or for the UK's largest supermarket chains, that have the word wholemeal in their names. The list is non-exhastive and there might be other products made by/for these six (or the other four) supermarkets that contain 'fortified' wheat flour as an ingredient.
In most cases, the ingredients listing was cut and pasted directly from the company's website on 6 July 2023
Aldi
‘Everyday Essentials Wholemeal Bread’: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Yeast, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Emulsifiers: Mono- And Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters Of Mono- And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, Mono- And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids; Spirit Vinegar; Preservative: Calcium Propionate; Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.
Asda
‘The BAKERY at ASDA Farmhouse Wholemeal‘: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Protein, Malted Barley Flour, Yeast, Fortified Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)], Molasses Sugar, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Soya Flour, Preservative (Calcium Propionate), Emulsifier (Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Vegetable Oils and Fat [Rapeseed Oil, Palm Fat, Palm Oil], Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid).
'Extra Special Farmhouse Wholemeal & Rye Bread': Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Rye Flour (5%), Sunflower Seeds (5%), Wheat Protein, Toasted Rye Flakes (2%), Yeast, Dried Roasted Barley Malt Extract, Fermented Wheat Flour, Fortified Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)], Molasses Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Oils and Fat [Rapeseed Oil, Palm Fat, Palm Oil], Soya Flour, Spirit Vinegar, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
The Co-operative
‘Wholemeal Rolls’: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Yeast, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Malted Barley Flour, Vegetable Oil (Rapeseed, Palm), Salt, Wheat Fibre, Emulsifiers: (Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids - Vegetable, Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids - Vegetable), Soya Flour, Spirit Vinegar, Preservative (Calcium Propionate), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
Marks & Spencer
‘Soft Golden Wholemeal Farmhouse’: Stoneground Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Water, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Soya Flour, Molasses, Palm Oil, Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Emulsifier: E472e, Rapeseed Lecithin, Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.
'Medium Wholemeal Super Soft Loaf’: Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Water, Malted Wheat (contains Gluten), Dried Wheat Gluten, Brown Sugar, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Dried Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Salt, Soya Flour, Palm Oil, Fractionated Palm Oil, Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Rapeseed Oil, Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid
‘Wholemeal Seeded Farmhouse’: Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Water, Seeds and Grains (13%) (Toasted Brown Linseed, Toasted Sunflower Seeds, Millet Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Toasted Maize Germ, Pumpkin Seeds, Toasted Buckwheat, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Golden Linseed), Dried Wheat Gluten, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Dried Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Salt, Malted Barley Flour (contains Gluten), Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Soya Flour, Caramelised Sugar, Palm Oil, Fractionated Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Emulsifier: Rapeseed Lecithin, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid
‘Wholemeal with Rye‘: Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Water, Malted Wheat (contains Gluten), Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D), Rye (contains Gluten) (3%), Dried Wheat Gluten, Malted Barley Flour (contains Gluten), Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Salt, Palm Oil, Sugar, Soya Flour, Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Rapeseed Oil, Emulsifier: E472e, E471, Caramelised Sugar, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Palm Fat.
Sainsbury’s
‘Stamford Street Co. Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps’. Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Palm Oil, Humectant: Glycerol; Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Sugar, Raising Agent: Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Emulsifier: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Salt, Preservative: Calcium Propionate; Wheat Starch, Wheat Flour, Flour Treatment Agent: L-Cysteine.
Waitrose
'Essential Waitrose Wholemeal': Wholemeal wheat flour, water, fortified wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), yeast, wheat gluten, salt, emulsifiers (mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), spirit vinegar, preservative (calcium propionate), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid).
'Waitrose Wholemeal Farmhouse Medium Sliced': Wholemeal wheat flour, water, yeast, fermented wheat flour, fortified wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), salt, barley malt flour, wheat gluten, spirit vinegar, emulsifiers (mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), rapeseed oil, flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid).
'Duchy Organic Wholemeal Bloomer': Wholemeal wheat flour, water, yeast*, wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), wheat gluten, rice flour*, sea salt*, wafer label* (potato starch, water, olive oil, colour (vegetable carbon)), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid)*.
'Duchy Organic Wholemeal Seeded Bloomer': Wholemeal wheat flour, water*, mixed seeds (19%) (sunflower seeds, golden linseed, millet, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds), wheat gluten, barley malt extract, sunflower oil, yeast*, sea salt*, spirit vinegar, fortified wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate*, iron*, niacin*, thiamin*), wheat flour, flour treatment agent ascorbic acid*
Published Thursday 6 July 2023
Real Bread Campaign: The Real Bread Campaign finds and shares ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet. Whether your interest is local food, community-focussed small enterprises, honest labelling, therapeutic baking, or simply tasty toast, everyone is invited to become a Campaign supporter.
