Doing the Cadburys - cheating ingredients

[nicdotcom]

Hi Chris,

I wanted to reply to your post as I have additional information which may explain why Country Life have labelled their breads in such a way.

I have fructose malabsorption, a condition which makes me sensitive to the fruit sugar (fructose and fructans) in certain foods such as onions, apples, pears and wheat. There are many people with this, and the research into it is predominantly coming out of Melbourne (we are the world leaders from what I can tell).

Unlike people with coeliac disease, I can tolerate some amount of wheat - the gluten part of the wheat is okay for me, but not the sugar part.

Country Life are the only company (that I know of) who make a bread that caters specifically to my needs - by giving me a bread (now a range of four or five varieties) that contains a lesser percentage of wheat (and, I believe, utilising mainly the gluten part of the wheat rather than the sugar part), which gives the bread that fantastic texture that only gluten can, but not so much wheat that I cannot tolerate it.

Basically, as the label suggests, it's custom-made for people who are sensitive to wheat, as opposed to their other range which is labelled as gluten free, of which they still have many varieties available too.

I must say that I also called Country Life directly when they made the change to their packaging because I did feel that they had made it less clear (as you say, it used to state the percentage of wheat and now does not) and I wasn't satisfied with their response - they didn't know what the percentages were at the time of my call, promised to find out and call me back but then never did.

I can also see what you're saying about the terminology that's been used - I know that as fructose malabsorption becomes better known, there are many companies bringing out products to suit and many have struggled to come up with appropriate wording for their packaging - putting things like "fructose free" or "fructose friendly" on there, but many of these labels are also fraught with problems themselves.

It's a really difficult one, but I think that people with dietary restrictions are becoming more savvy to the way that ingredients are listed.

Anyway, I hope that is of some interest.

[MrsBirch]

I really sympathise, and I can so identify with this comment.
"Of course when companies get taken over,
banks and shareholders get paid,
and customers get screwed."

[owlsmeg]

Its really hard making your own bread.. what brands have you found the best for you??

[kadee]

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[cthisbear]

I enjoy Country Life rye bread.

Before being taken over by
Goodman Fielder,
they had a completely wheat free bread -
Rye and Rice Flour only.

Of course when companies get taken over,
banks and shareholders get paid,
and customers get screwed.

So after a while they brought out 3 different Rye breads.
83% Rye plus wheat ??
94% Rye plus wheat

and if you could get it

a 95% Rye plus wheat.
Possibly their Organic version.

Yesterday I went to my local Woolies.

Country Life has repackaged their
Organic Rye with
" For Wheat Sensitivity "
at the front of the loaf.

Strangely listing the Rye ingredients,
of which there are two at 26% each.

But NOTHING, no percentage shown for the wheat.
On contacting them I am told the Wheat is now 30%

This is a company that fronts up to the
Gluten Free show at Darling Harbour,
hawking other breads.

So they know about wheat issues right.

Their rep rang me this morning and I said
that they should have labeled it

" Customer Insensitive Company " instead.

They only rang because I spoke to a
Woolies rep at Woolworths HQ at Bella Vista.
He has dealt with CL them many years.

Obviously Woolies decided that I had an issue
with my inquiry about this blatant fraud.

That people who buy Country Life and see
" Wheat Sensitive" on a label may think
it actually means = No Wheat.

Especially when the percentage is not shown.
and now contains 5 or 6 times the amount.

Can I say Liars here. Cheats.
This is where Fair Trading should do them over.

Cadburys is reborn as Country Life bread.
Take the ingredients out and give me spin back.

If they want to give me less
state it in the label.

Their top bread apparently now will have
10% wheat says their rep.

Double the wheat of the old one.

Should I buy a new car with 3 wheels
because it's nearly the same.

Scam artists.

Companies can make a profit.
But don't Cheat me.

If you want to charge more than do it.
I make the decision.
I live with the cost.

Put the other wheel back.you CRUMBS.

And thanks to the Woolies rep.

They will now change the label.
Others had a go.
But that should be done now,
donate all the bread to a charity.

Chris.