TOPIC concluded the investigation into Mrs Bread Care’s Cauliflower Spinach Protein Bread at the end of March 2017 and we published our findings to consumers in our blog post here: http://topicsa.org.za/blog/mrs-bread-care-protein-bread
On the 4th of March, Bryanston Organic & Natural Market (BONM) obtained another loaf and it was sent for testing with the same laboratory.
Two tests were done: a PCR test to detect if any wheat was present, and an ELISA test to determine the amount of gluten in the loaf. The PCR test came back positive (see table below), meaning that some wheat was present in the loaf (the PCR test does not provide a quantitative result).
The ELISA tests showed that gluten was present (see table below), at levels of between 27 and 36 ppm, which is consistent with contamination. Note that ppm means parts per million, which is the same unit as mg/kg. This means that while wheat flour was not used as an ingredient, some gluten ended up in the final product, either because an ingredient was contaminated with traces of wheat flour, or because of contamination with wheat flour during the baking process itself.
This is a dramatic improvement from the first tests done on a loaf purchased in late 2016 which showed that the level of gluten in the loaf was consistent with what would be expected if it was made using only wheat flour. Those initial tests showed more than 80,000 ppm gluten or 8g/100g.
In summary, while the Mrs Bread Care loaf sent from BONM did not have wheat flour as a primary ingredient, it did contain traces of wheat as well as gluten. It therefore cannot be labelled or verbally called “gluten-free” as that claim is not permitted for a food that contains 20 ppm (mg/kg) or more of gluten. People suffering from celiac disease or a wheat allergy would not able to eat this loaf.
While we welcome the improvements in the labelling of this product since our investigation began, the label of the latest product we tested does not comply with R146, as is required by law.
For example, the primary descriptor (product name) must accurately describe the product or must be supplemented with a clear secondary descriptor that qualifies the primary, so “cauliflower spinach” is not enough and it must state that it is bread. Also, a quantitative ingredient declaration (QUID) must be made when the name of a compound ingredient appears in the name of the product. This means that the percentage of cauliflower, and of spinach, should appear on the label. Information such as country of origin, manufacturer’s physical address, and a date must also be included.
We have been informed that BONM is working with the producer, Dalia Tzror, to ensure compliance with the regulations and an accurate label for consumers.
Note that we have been told that the label has been changed again since our latest test, so some of the above may have been addressed. The TOPIC team will revisit the Mrs Bread Care investigation at a later date again to monitor progress, and keep you all informed.
Thanks for the latest results. I may have missed it, but is there any difference in the carbohydrates in the newly tested batch? Are the carbs still 34g? I don’t think there was any reference to that. I am a diabetic who has been eating this bread for quite some time.
Thanks for your comment. The ‘low carb’ claim has been withdrawn by the producer, and so this time we did not test for carbs. Note that tapioca is high in carbohydrates, which means the loaf will definitely contain carbs.
HOW MANY GRAMS CARBS PER SLICE DOES THE BREAD CONTAINER
After we began our investigation, the nutrition panel was removed from the label, and ‘low-carb’ claim was also removed. So in order to determine the current carb level another lab test would be needed. On the last label we saw, tapioca flour was listed, which is high in carbs, so its likely that there are high levels of carbs in the bread.
Today I bought a bread saying VELVET BREAD ( Ms Breadcare) – wheat and yeast free from fruits and roots in Bryanston . I called the number on the label to double check if this was so, they said Dalia was in Israel – I then asked if the bread as per the label was in fact 100 percent yeast free, as I could die if I had yeast, they then told me they would call the baker and call me back- they called back a few moments later and said the bread contained yeast. I think this is atrocious. This is the second incident I have had with her products, the 1 st was when I bought an egg free muffin and stumbled upon a egg shell inside the muffin!! No words besides Ms Breadreallydoesntcare.
Thank you Janine. Could you tell us what gave you the impression is was yeast free? Was it on the label, or told to you verbally? It would be very useful to see a photo of the label on the product if that is possible.
People have had endless problems with them changing ingredients as well as incorrect labeling. It’s true, Mrs BreadreallydoesntCare. They have so many people supporting them, they supply various health food stores and they are the only suppliers of such bread products that they couldn’t care about their customer service or anything else. “Mr Bread” also really should’t deal with customers as he is rude and arrogant and most likely chases them away.