Sara Lee: Whole grains--not the whole truth

Sara Lee has been marketing "Whole Grain White Bread"--primarily to folks who don't like whole wheat bread. The appeal is that it tastes just like white bread.

The reason it tastes like white bread is that it is white bread, with a minor amount of whole wheat flour dusted in.

Therefore, on December 17, as an early Christmas present, CSPI sent Sara Lee a letter demanding that Sara Lee stop its misleading whole grain claims and donate to charity the profits it has received from “Soft & Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread” since its introduction in 2005.

Sara Lee claims that its Whole Grain White Bread has “the taste and texture of white bread with the goodness of whole grain,” and “whole grain goodness with all the mouthwatering pleasure of scrumptious, soft, white bread.”

It would be more accurate to say that this Sara Lee product is brimming with the wholesome goodness of white flour and water. The intent is to confuse consumers, who are denied the nutrition they think they are paying for.

On several of its own web sites, Sara Lee muses about how much consumer confusion exists about whole grains.  On one of those websites, breadrules.com, a press release for a genuinely 100% whole wheat Sara Lee bread regretfully ruminates that “seven out of 10 consumers mistakenly believe their wheat bread is 100% whole wheat,” and that “50 percent of traditional wheat bread consumers mistakenly believe their bread is the best nutritional choice.”

Another Sara Lee site, thejoyofeating.com, lets consumers test many breads--its own and its competitors--on a “Whole-Grain-o-Meter” to see if the product is 100 percent whole grain or not. This Whole Grain White Bread is tellingly absent.

A patronizing pledge form on that site gives the impression that switching to a Soft and Smooth whole grain bread is an act of nutritional virtue. But in fact, only 30 percent of the grain in Sara Lee’s Soft and Smooth Whole Grain White Bread is whole grain, and the rest is refined white flour, according to news reports. In fact, there is more water in this product than whole grain.

CSPI’s letter to Sara Lee says it Sara Lee has 30 days to respond to CSPI’s settlement offer.

For a New York Times piece about the issue, click here. In response to the demand letter, Sara Lee told the Chicago Tribune that it "found the tone  of the [center's] letter offensive and much of its content uniformed." The Tribune story quotes Sara Lee as saying that this product is a "transition  bread to help consumers trade up to whole grain bread." Kind of whole grain bread, with training wheels.

 

Comments

[riverred00]

The deception of the general public by this company is reprehensible. It is not contained solely in its false and misleading statements regarding nutritional facts. If a consumer calls the cunsumer affairs line and asks a question regarding the origins of the ingredients used they will get a direct answer. One which is what the consumer is looking for, such as Sara Lee never uses materials from outside the United States. If the same person were to call right back and tell the operator they are from the media this question would either be answered truthfully ( yes they buy on the open market and there is no guarantee that the materials they are buying is solely from the United States) or they will be transferred to management. I challenge you to call with this question.

[Antuanne]

Eating grains, especially whole grains, provides health benefits. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies. Health benefits Consuming foods rich in fiber, such as whole grains, as part of a healthy diet, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Consuming foods rich in fiber, such as whole grains, as part of a healthy diet, may reduce constipation. Eating at least 3 ounce equivalents a day of whole grains may help with weight management. Eating grains fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development. Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).