Lidl was forced to rebrand a loaf after a dispute over whether it was sourdough or not. The German supermarket rebranded its crusty blossoms after campaigners claimed that it was “sour faux”.
The Real Bread Campaign accused Lidl of misleading customers with its “Sourdough Crusty Rye Bloomer” bread. The bread is marketed as a sourdough bread, but it actually contains baker’s rye to speed up the rising process.
Sourdough is made without yeast. Instead, a “starter” is made by mixing flour and water to help naturally occurring yeast and bacteria grow.
The Real Bread Campaign argued that the loaves should not be labeled as “rye” because they contained 56% wheat flour and less than 12% rye. Lidl will rename their bread due to pressure from a campaign group that lodged a complaint with Trading Standards.
The loaf will be rebranded as “Crusty Wheat & Rye Bloomer”, removing all references to sourdough.
Chris Young, the coordinator of the Real Bread Campaign, said: “We are grateful that Lidl came up with a better name for this product. We shouldn’t waste time on individual cases.
Lidl won a separate case with the Advertising Standards Agency. Lidl’s rebranded bread is the latest in a long-running battle between bakers about what can be called “sourdough”.
In the early part of this year, local and commercial bakers clashed about new guidelines on how to make bread.
In January, six national bakers groups published a code of practices for the baking industry. This included definitions that should be used on sourdough labels.
“Bloomer flavored with sourdough” was suggested as a term to describe adding additives to make the bread more sour.
The “Cheats Charter” is how the Real Bread Campaign referred to the guidance.
Which? Which? conducted an investigation.
The Real Bread Campaign wants the government to introduce new laws that define sourdough bread and artisanal bread. They also want bakers to have to list ingredients on unwrapped loaves. The campaign has named its proposed legislation as the Honest Crust Act.
Mr Young stated: “In between, we urge all retailers and bakeries to adopt these measures voluntarily. Display the ingredient lists of unwrapped items at the point of sale for shoppers to make informed buying decisions.
Lidl’s spokesperson stated that they regularly assess and improve their bakery products to offer their customers the best quality at the lowest prices.