Ultra processed bread

As for local bakers. They all bit the dust over 30 years ago where I live

We are lucky in our little town to have a 4th generation family bakers.

Their produce is excellent, but very expensive. The low GI bread we like is £3.40 a loaf. Little tray bakes and cupcakes are nearly £2 each, (I never buy those).

They are always busy, especially Christmas and Bank Holidays.

I agree with MissAdventure that nearly all breads and many other food s must be Ultra processed these days

Due to their ingredients and manufacturing processes.

Sourdough is OK..But expensive and does not make good toast.

As for local bakers. They all bit the dust over 30 years ago where l.live.

The only bread I eat is the homemade one baked in my Panasonic bread maker.
Adding the ingredients takes 5 minutes, then you programme it and wait.
Ingredients are:
Yeast
Wholemeal bread flour
Salt
Sugar
Butter
Water

I did have the Yuka app But a lot of times it wouldn’t work in my local Tesco so I gave up with it in the end….😬

ViceVersa

Why does everyone seem to push this Yuka app all the time?

Clearly not “everyone” pushes it. Those of us who use the Yuka app when shopping, in an effort to buy the least adulterated product, have found it incredibly helpful and quite eye-opening. Yes, it takes time. That’s fine by me. It saves past results, it just scans the barcode, it’s very easy to do in store, so the next time I’m buying eg soy sauce, sun lotion - or bread - I can glance back through past searches instead of standing at the shelf scanning jars etc. If it doesn’t appeal to you, fine. I like it.

I have Open Food Facts too, but I prefer Yuka.

I only eat Aldi protein sourdough bread now and my stomach doesn’t swell the way it does with any other bread.

No apology needed NotSpaghetti, I messed up the screenshot and then it appeared twice, I apologise for being a dingbat.

Oreo

I very much dislike sourdough and it’s everywhere! I broke a tooth on a toastie in a cafe that turned out to be sourdough, it’s an expensive fad.
My fave bread is a Hovis small sliced loaf but I also like sliced Tiger bread as well.

I am well aware that not everyone can afford premium and the best foods for health, but with bread there is always the option to make your own, or teach children how to do it, my DGC loved kneeding bread. Let an older child contribute to the family well being by making bread once a week.

I loved bread as a child, straight from the baker and still warm but as I began married life and children I began to eat less and less because I just didn't like it any more. Then I learned about the Chorleywood process and understood why, so began to make my own. Then we moved somewhere with a local baker. Yes, expensive, but, again you ration it (for myself).

I do not like sourdough either and avoid it at all costs

I.absolutely love Lidl rye bread.
The dark brown lump that is like a brick.
I could live on it, and it looks ad some would say tastes healthy.
Bitter. Yum!
No idea if it's "good" though.

The Hovis is wholemeal btw.

I very much dislike sourdough and it’s everywhere! I broke a tooth on a toastie in a cafe that turned out to be sourdough, it’s an expensive fad.
My fave bread is a Hovis small sliced loaf but I also like sliced Tiger bread as well.

Rocketstop2

Can I just venture a little point at the other end of the scale ?
Some people cannot always afford 'Good bread', though do buy the best that they can afford.
It's awful sometimes when you know how bad this processed stuff is for you but I think sometimes people who have to buy it are perceived as fools, eating all that rubbish, when they don't have too much choice but then feel guilty for practically poisoning everyone by serving it !
All this stuff that they are telling us gives us Cancer/Diabetes/Dementia et al and then they don't ban it from the food industry or make the good stuff more affordable..That surely is 'Food for thought'..Pun well and truly intended !

You make some very good points there Rocketstop2. It’s easy to disparage those people buying unhealthy staples like bread when that’s what they can afford.

I really think your last paragraph should be looked at by any group lecturing on not eating certain foods.
If it’s so bad, why don’t they back up their claims and ban it from the food industry or make the good stuff more affordable? Too hard?

There is a really good app called yuka that allows you to scan a bar code on a food item. The app then gives it a rating from excellent, to poor and a score between 0 to 100. Scrolling down lets you know why it is rated thus, with information about additives, fats, salt etc and the risks associated with them.
Jason's sourdough has an excellent rating with no risky additives. Warburtons Our Dough bread with sourdough, but softer bread, is also rated excellent with no risky additives.

It's true Rocketstop - we have very cheap food here in the UK and yet people do still struggle.

Can I just venture a little point at the other end of the scale ?
Some people cannot always afford 'Good bread', though do buy the best that they can afford.
It's awful sometimes when you know how bad this processed stuff is for you but I think sometimes people who have to buy it are perceived as fools, eating all that rubbish, when they don't have too much choice but then feel guilty for practically poisoning everyone by serving it !
All this stuff that they are telling us gives us Cancer/Diabetes/Dementia et al and then they don't ban it from the food industry or make the good stuff more affordable..That surely is 'Food for thought'..Pun well and truly intended !

Unfortunately all supermarket bread is ultra-processed because it's a government requirement for all mills that sell over a certain volume of flour to add iron, thiamine, niacin and calcium carbonate. This works on the assumption that the UK population is deficient in these vitamins and minerals which is of course ludicrous as those who do eat a varied and sensible diet are not. The only way to guarantee 'proper' bread is to bake your own and buy flour from a miller who doesn't have to fortify it because it's a relatively small business.

I dug out my old Cranks recipe book and use their no knead recipe for wholemeal bread. Works every time.

Jason’s sourdough is the best has hardly any additives.

M0nica my children made some amazing Christmas tree decorations with white bread putty!

Apologies Foxyferret I see you have uploaded a screenshot of the folic acid info.
I confess I didn't open the picture before as I thought it was to do with the app.

Menopauselbitch
In the UK we have had mandatory fortification laws for decades which apply to most "ordinary" non-wholemeal wheat flours
It used to be "just" Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, and Thiamin but now includes Folic Acid as well.

This applies to:
​Standard white flours - such as supermarket own brands as wrll as named brands such and Homepride (both plain and self-raising)
​Also Strong white bread flour
Strong brown flours
​other Brown flour (that isn't 100% wholemeal)
​Most general-purpose or cake flours.

The folic acid was brought in to help prevent neural tube defects.

Exemptions are in place for:
artisan mills that produce less than 500 metric tonnes of flour and for
less usual grains (eg einkorn, spelt, semolina or rice flours.)
100% Wholemeal doesn't need to have it.

There used to be a workaround by buying imported flours from (say) France or Italy but that loophole was closed some time ago. 2022 I think, from memory.
This is true now even if bought by the sack instead of by the bag.

Babamaman

Just don’t look as to what is in supermarket, big brand bread! Horrendous!
I know it’s expensive but I go to a local bakery and buy a large brown sliced sourdough loaf! No chemicals.
I freeze half, it last two weeks. They have a loyalty scheme so the 10th one is free!

Our only bakery has closed down as they couldn’t afford the staff.
They sold beautiful Artisan sourdough bread.
You can’t beat proper baked sourdough 😋

Just don’t look as to what is in supermarket, big brand bread! Horrendous!
I know it’s expensive but I go to a local bakery and buy a large brown sliced sourdough loaf! No chemicals.
I freeze half, it last two weeks. They have a loyalty scheme so the 10th one is free!

Bookfan

Not ‘pushing ‘ it 😄- just a suggestion as I find it really helpful and thought others would like to know.

I hadn’t heard of that - looks useful. Thank you

ViceVersa

Why does everyone seem to push this Yuka app all the time?

Because it informs people of certain details that are not evident from the information on the packet. It’s something that may help to know the better of two products taking into consideration the high-risk additives. It rates each product out of 100.