The magazine had different breads from artisanal bakeries, supermarkets or franchises analyzed. They almost all contain undesirable substances, but rarely exceed regulatory thresholds.
Would our national wand be more dangerous than we think? The magazine 60 million consumers published an extensive investigation on the composition of the breads sold in artisanal bakeries, supermarkets and franchises: they almost all contain controversial substances such as additives or pesticide residues.
Additives, pesticide residues… these substances are not uncommon in our breads! ????#breads #food #consumption
Explanations in our article ???? https://t.co/3fGoIEorCU
— 60 Million consumers (@60million) January 24, 2019
Pesticide residues in half of the panel
The survey brings together 65 bread references: baguettes, balls, sandwich loaves, gluten-free, or cereal, etc. In total, half of the products contain pesticide residues, in particular sandwich loaves. In the latter, it is possible to find up to six different residues. Some of these chemicals are recognized or suspected to be endocrine disruptors, such as cypermethrin for example. Industrial breads are not the only ones concerned, these residues are also present in breads made by artisan bakers. The magazine ensures that none of these products contains doses above the regulatory limits.
Potentially dangerous mycotoxins
Some products contain mycotoxins. For two of them, the quantities are higher than the standards. These chemical compounds are produced by molds which can contaminate plants (fruits, cereals, oilseeds, etc.). According to the National Agency for Health Safety, Food, Environment, Work (Anses), repeated exposure to low, and even very low, doses can be dangerous for humans. Mycotoxins can cause nausea, vomiting and in some cases seizures.
60 million consumers also deplore the presence of additives in most products, especially in the white baguette. The law authorizes 14 of these products, but does not oblige bakers to display the composition of their breads. For the consumer, it is impossible to know which additives are present, and in what quantity.
Too much salt !
The purpose of this study is also to analyze the nutritional properties of these different breads. The result is not really glorious: the vast majority of sandwich loaves analyzed are too fatty and lack fiber. In all the products analyzed, salt is present in too large quantities: 120 grams of bread, the average daily portion, contains a quarter of our daily needs. The subject is not ignored by bakers, the bakery confederation has signed a OK with the government in February 2014. It aimed to limit the amount of salt to 18 grams per kilo of flour for 80% of baguettes in one year. At the end of 2015, the profession had not achieved this objective.
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