Prepackaged sandwich bread is an essential ingredient for tasty homemade sandwiches or toast. The Consumer Council’s test on 28 samples of prepackaged white bread and wheat bread revealed that although none of the samples reached “high-sodium”, “high-fat” or “high-sugar” levels, the overall average sodium content was higher than the non-prepackaged bread tested by the Council 4 years ago. Consuming 2 slices of the bread sample with the highest detected sodium content per 100g would incur a sodium intake equivalent to over 20% of the daily intake limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). If used for making a sandwich with foods higher in sodium, such as cheese or ham, consumers would incur an increased sodium intake unknowingly.
The test results once again confirmed that wheat bread has higher dietary fibre and mineral contents than white bread. With this in mind, consumers are encouraged to consider the health aspect when purchasing such products. Besides, close to half of the samples had a discrepancy between their labelled and actual nutrient values which did not comply with the requirements of the relevant guidance notes, a reason for much concern. The Council stresses that it is a basic consumer right to receive accurate product information and thus manufacturers are urged to promptly rectify the various mistakes on the nutrition labels to help consumers compare and shop more easily.
The Council sourced 28 samples of prepackaged sandwich bread from major bread retailers, including 14 white bread and 14 wheat bread samples. The retail price per pack ranged from $8.5 to $39.0, equivalent to a unit price of $3.1 to $24.8 per 100g. Despite a 7-time price difference between the highest and lowest priced samples, the cheapest sample received a rating of 4 points in the test for nutrient content, slightly higher than the most expensive sample which scored 3.5 points for this test item.
It is widely known that excessive sodium intake could increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. A test on non-prepackaged sandwich bread has been conducted by the Council in collaboration with the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in 2018, in which the average sodium content (per 100g) for white bread and wheat bread was 420mg and 400mg respectively, whereas for the current test, the result for white bread was 433mg while that for wheat bread was 410mg. Despite the fact that the samples included in the 2 tests and the scale of manufacturers both varied, a comparison of the results from the 2018 test and the current one revealed a 3.1% and 2.5% increase in sodium content for the 2 types of bread respectively. According to the CFS’ reference level for sodium content in foods, all samples in the current test were not “high-sodium” foods. However, if benchmarked against the “voluntary sodium reduction targets” for prepackaged white bread and wheat bread set by the CFS, the sodium content of 3 white bread and 4 wheat bread samples exceeded the maximum targets. Although all samples were not classified as “high-sodium”, oftentimes 2 slices of bread would be used for making each sandwich. Taking the sample with the highest sodium content per 100g for instance, consuming 2 slices would incur a sodium intake equivalent to 22.6% of the WHO’s recommended daily sodium intake limit for adults. If the sandwich also included cheese and ham which contain high levels of sodium, consumers would have a much higher sodium intake without being aware.
The test results showed that in comparison to white bread, wheat bread had a higher average content across dietary fibre and minerals, such as iron, copper, zinc and magnesium. Dietary fibre can increase satiety and reduce the appetite, as a result helping to control body weight, as well as promoting peristalsis and preventing constipation.
The average dietary fibre content (per 100g) of the 14 samples of wheat bread was 4.5g, while that for the 14 white bread samples was 2.3g, a one-fold difference. 2 of the wheat bread samples contained over 6g of dietary fibre per 100g, reaching “high-fibre” food level. Amongst the remaining 12 samples of wheat bread, 11 were a “source of fibre”, whereas in comparison, all 14 samples of white bread did not meet such level. According to the information from the Centre for Health Protection, adults should have a daily dietary fibre intake of not less than 25g. Based on the test samples with the lowest and highest dietary fibre contents, consuming a 100g portion of the samples would incur a dietary fibre intake equivalent to 8% and 27% of the daily intake for adults respectively, a difference of over 2 times.
In terms of minerals, the average iron content (per 100g) of wheat bread was 122% higher than that of white bread, whereas the average contents of copper, zinc and magnesium of wheat bread were also higher than white bread by 70%, 68% and 119% respectively. The difference in dietary fibre and mineral content can be attributed to the type of flour used. As white bread is made from wheat flour, which involves removal of the outer shell of wheat kernels, known as the bran, during the refinement process, some of its dietary fibre and minerals are removed. On the other hand, wheat bread which is made from wholemeal flour retains the bran of wheat kernels, making it generally more nutrient-rich. For health’s sake, the Council recommends consumers to opt for unrefined cereal foods to ensure a more complete nutrient intake.
Another point of concern is the huge difference in total fat content, which differed by almost 10-fold between the samples with the highest and lowest content. The sample with the highest total fat content also had the highest saturated fatty acid and trans fatty acids contents, presumably due to a higher percentage of butter and cream used amongst its ingredients. All samples were not “high-fat” or “high-sugar” foods, with 5 samples even being “low-fat” foods while 17 were “low-sugar” foods according to the CFS guidelines. Consumers should pay extra attention when purchasing.
More consumers have become concerned about the addition of preservatives in prepackaged sandwich bread, worrying that long-term consumption would have adverse health impacts. 6 of the tested samples were detected with propionic acid, all being wheat bread samples, but the concentrations were lower than the maximum permitted level set out in the “Preservatives in Food Regulation”. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opines that propionic acid is a food additive that is “generally recognised as safe” and a maximum permitted level was not stipulated. Consumers who wish to choose products without added preservatives should read the ingredient list before purchasing, or even prepare homemade bread.
According to the current regulations in Hong Kong, all bakery products packed in a plastic bag and fastened with a metal wire, plastic wire or date hook would be considered as prepackaged food. Unless otherwise exempted, information including the name of the food, list of ingredients, and nutrition label, etc., should be legibly marked on the food label. Amongst the test samples, 4 did not include a list of ingredients on its packaging, while another 10 samples were found to have a discrepancy between the actual and the claimed nutrient contents that did not comply with the requirements set down in the “Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims”. For example, one sample was detected with saturated fatty acids content that was more than 90% higher than claimed, whereas another sample with a claimed dietary fibre content reaching “high-fibre” definition was found to actually not even reach “source of fibre” level, which was disappointing. The information of the relevant samples has been referred to the CFS for follow-up.
Bread is a daily staple food for many people. To consume bread while keeping health in check, consumers should pay heed to the following tips:
- Try out healthier combinations, such as “egg and assorted vegetables sandwiches” comprising 2 slices of wheat bread, 1 scrambled egg, a small amount of tomatoes and lettuce, instead of foods with high sugar and fat content, such as toast with butter and sweetened condensed milk;
- Only purchase an appropriate amount of sandwich bread each time and refrain from stockpiling, so as to prevent the bread from staling or getting mouldy. Generally speaking, sandwich bread can be stored for 2 to 4 days at room temperature, and up to around 1 to 2 weeks in a refrigerator. However, consumers are advised to refer to the storage instructions and expiry date labelled on each product’s packaging. Bread found with mould should be discarded immediately.
Download the article (Chinese only): https://ccchoice.org/548bread
Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE magazine and Online CHOICE.