Many manufacturers mislead consumers by calling their product whole grain, while only part of the flour used is whole grain. The Consumer Association reports this on Tuesday. The consumer organization calls on manufacturers to stop using whole wheat as a “bait ingredient”.
The Consumers’ Association states that manufacturers misuse the term whole wheat to make food products appear healthier than they actually are. “Many manufacturers use whole wheat as a sales trick on unhealthy products with a lot of sugar or saturated fat. Consumers think they make a healthy choice, while often it contains only a small part of whole wheat flour”, writes Consumentenbond director Sandra Molenaar.
The consumer organization found many examples of wholemeal products where the percentage of wholemeal flour is not immediately clear. This goes against the rules of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The NVWA writes in the Commodities Act that a product may only have “whole wheat” without further explanation on the packaging if 100 percent whole wheat flour has been used. If flour is also used, this must be stated separately on the front.
The Consumers’ Association points, among other things, to crackers from LU, which contain 57 percent wheat flour and 38 percent wholemeal flour, something that cannot be found on the front of the package. Also, whole wheat tortillas of the Santa Maria brand contain only 24 percent whole grain, which is not on the front and can only be found in the ingredients list on the back.
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