"<RJ>" > wrote in message
...
>
> I was buying a box of Kroger Saltine crackers
> when I noticed the box of "Wheat Saltines" next to it.
>
> Hmmm.... WHEAT sounds alot healthier.
> I bought one of each.
>
> When I got home, I looked at the ingredients list.
> WHEAT saltines are identical to Regular saltines
> with the exception of "Caramel coloring"
>
> FRAUD ? maybe "customer misdirection" ?
>
> I wrote to Kroger, asking them about the labeling.
> Here's their response;
>
> "Thank you for contacting us. A whole wheat cracker (meaning that it's
> whole grain) would have to say 100% Whole Wheat in the ingredient
> statement. The above cracker does not indicate this. I hope this
> information is helpful."
>
> What the hell did they say ?
>
> <rj>

Just misdirection. White flour is made of wheat with the bran and germ
removed. It looks white and keeps well. Whole wheat flour has the bran and
germ still in. It looks browner, has more nutrients and fiber, and doesn't
keep as well (wheat germ goes rancid rather easily). Both can be called
wheat flour.

It makes sense for a manufacturer to dye white flour brown and call it
"wheat " on the label. Health-conscious customers can be fooled into
thinking they're getting the food value of whole wheat in a product that
still has the blander flavor that Americans favor. Using dyed white flour
makes it easier for the manufacturer to keep the product fresh-tasting as
well.

If you want the real thing, look for "100% whole wheat." Even "whole wheat"
alone doesn't promise much. That can be the same dyed white flour product
with a sprinkle of whole wheat flour added just as an excuse to put "whole
wheat" on the label.

Kathy