Aldi has become the latest retailer to rename a loaf after campaigners complained to Trading Standards.
The discounter is renaming the loaf from ‘Dark Rye Sourdough’ to ‘Wheat & Rye Dark Sourdough’ after the Real Bread Campaign complained the branding inaccurately represented the ingredients listed on the back of the packaging.
The complaint, lodged in January, argued consumers would associate ‘dark rye’ with wholemeal rye flour, which was not listed in the legal declaration on the back of the packaging. Wheat flour was listed as the main ingredient, with rye flour – as opposed to wholemeal rye flour – the second.
Aldi is also changing the back-of-pack legal declaration to state the loaf contains 31% rye flour.
The Real Bread Campaign received confirmation from a Trading Standards officer on 11 May that “amendments are already in progress on this line”.
“This is another case of a massive, multimillion-pound corporation’s failure creating extra work for a consumer protection body and a small charity,” said Real Bread Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young.
“Both the Trading Standards service and we are underfunded and overstretched. Neither should have to pursue cases like this.”
Aldi was approached for comment.
The Real Bread Campaign, run by charity Sustain, has been battling for a decade for ‘real bread’ to be legally defined as baked without chemical raising agents, processing aids or any other additives.
The campaign has previously claimed victory over Sainsbury’s and Lidl after they dropped ‘freshly baked in store’ claims, though both supermarkets said the move was unrelated to any intervention.
In 2023 the campaign complained to Trading Standards about a Lidl Sourdough Rye Crusty Bloomer made predominantly from wheat flour, and Lidl subsequently renamed the product Crusty Wheat & Rye Bloomer.
The campaign group was also behind a complaint to Trading Standards about bread products in M&S’s ‘Only… Ingredients’ range, which prompted the retailer to change front-of-pack branding earlier this year.
No comments yet