I’m a food expert, there’s a special word on bread packaging that means you should avoid buying it
IF bread is always at the top of your shopping list, you’ll know how much it can cost each time you get through another loaf.
But did you know you could be spending over the odds for sourdough bread that isn’t actually sourdough at all?
In a recent episode of Channel 5’s Save Money On Your Supermarket Shop, presenters and Angellica Bell were once again on hand to guide viewers through the ways they can save cash every time they shop.
But the hosts were left flabbergasted to discover that some breads aren’t all that they claim to be – particularly when it comes to an increasingly popular choice, sourdough.
In a segment on the popular series, Angellica met with a food expert to find out why it’s so important to check EVERY word that’s featured on a loaf of bread’s packaging.
Angellica and some bakers showed viewers that pure sourdough bread is made from a simple ingredient list of flour, water, salt and – most importantly – a starter culture instead of traditional yeast.
Then it requires a complicated fermentation process that takes a lot of time and skill, which results in its unique flavour and texture.
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However, some bread brands have caught onto the rising popularity of sourdough – and have spotted an opportunity.
Angellica revealed: “Sourdough carries a high price tag due to their limited ingredients and the time and effort that goes into making them.
“But some supermarkets are passing off mass produced bread with extra ingredients as the same thing at the same high price.”
Viewers then saw Angellica meeting with Chris Young, who works at The Real Bread Campaign, to find out more.
He told her that some brands are using ingredients, such as yeast or oil, and then passing them off as sourdough.
If your bread’s got any of these ingredients in, it’s not real sourdough
Angellica Bell
He explained: “This is bakers’ yeast, you can make fantastic bread with yeast, but just don’t call it sourdough – it’s a different process.
“This is vegetable oil and rapeseed oil, which is an ingredient which you don’t need for bread making.
However, Chris then shared how some are adding artificial additives – such as lactic acid and acetic acid – into their dough to improve their flavour.
He said: “They are produced in the sourdough process naturally by the starter.
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“[But] if you see it listed separately that means that someone has gone to the lab and synthesised these things and thrown them in for a bit of tang.”
Angellica then clarified: “If your bread’s got any of these ingredients in, it’s not real sourdough.”
The pair then went on to reveal how you can “weed out these imposters” – which cost more than a normal loaf of bread – and said it all comes down to one small word.
Chris pointed to a range of bakery items and explained: “These are all being marketed as sourdough – so they’re using that kudos and brand recognition that has been built up by artisan bakers over decades.”
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Angellica then found out that if a package says “WITH sourdough” it means “only a small amount of sourdough has been added and it’s not the real deal.”
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She then shared that another way to avoid buying something that isn’t exactly what it says it is is to look for the word “yeast” in the ingredient list.
Save Money on Your Supermarket Shop continues Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 5
