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Will Kraft Deliver on its Whole Wheat Promise?

9 Replies

Kraft announced yesterday that it will increase the amount of whole grains in over 100 Nabisco products during the next 3 years. The products include: Wheat Thins, Honey Maid, Premium and Ritz crackers.

This change “will contribute more than 9 billion servings of whole grain to American diets each year,” according to the company.

For example, Kraft will double the whole grain in Wheat Thins Original from 11 grams to 22 grams. That’s quite impressive. Let’s take the opportunity to examine what’s inside each Wheat Thin.

What you need to know:

Here’s what Wheat Thins’ ingredient list look like today:

WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, MALT SYRUP (FROM BARLEY AND CORN), SALT, INVERT SUGAR, MONOGLYCERIDES, LEAVENING (CALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND/OR BAKING SODA), VEGETABLE COLOR (ANNATTO EXTRACT, TURMERIC OLEORESIN). CONTAINS: WHEAT. BHT ADDED TO PACKAGING MATERIAL TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.

As you can see, the crackers are made from a wheat blend – both whole wheat and refined wheat. A serving today consists of 9 crackers weighing in at 31 grams (a cracker over an ounce). Of those 31 grams, only 11 are from whole wheat, and at most, 11 additional grams are from the refined wheat. The rest of the product weight is from the oil, sugars (underlined), and other additives.

According to Kraft, by 2013, Wheat Thins will include only whole wheat, 22 grams worth. This should double the fiber count from just 2 grams per serving to 4 grams.

While Wheat Thins are not exactly a health food, this whole grain initiative is a positive move forward by Kraft. Additional recommendations would be to lower the sodium levels, which now are at 230mg (10% of the daily maximum). Earlier this year, Kraft announced plans to reduce sodium by 10%, but it would be far more beneficial to slash it by 50%.

What to do at the supermarket:

If you’re a cracker lover, it makes sense to choose brands and flavors that are made from 100% whole grains. Until Kraft goes ahead with its changes, try to find options that are exclusively whole grain, low in sodium, and low in added ingredients.

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  • Jason

    I don’t want to be overly critical. It is a step up from other snacks like potato chips. But personally I don’t consider anything in the form of a flour a whole grain.

    If they were serious about whole grains, they’d use something like sprouted grains (flourless). However, that would probably be too costly for them and hurt their profit margins.

    BHT? No thanks. I’ll find something without it.

  • Joyce

    How about recommending a few crackers? How about Fritos Corn Chips? I see only three ingredients: ground corn, oil and salt.

  • http://www.karenshealthylifestyle.blogspot.com/ Karen Greenberg

    I think Kraft is doing a fine job. They are listening to the voice of the consumers who want a better quality food, but they are not changing everything at once. From both a business and a health standpoint, this is a smart move. Kraft is doing its best to move in the right direction, but consumers will need time to adjust to the changes. If all companies were making small changes over the next couple of years we would be in really great shape. No, the crackers aren’t a health food, but life still needs to be enjoyable. Adding a few foods that aren’t perfect but are still good is a great way to maintain both physical and emotional needs. I personally applaud Kraft!

  • http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com Lauren Slayton

    I’m not applauding Kraft. I think it’s almost worse to entice people into what sounds like a healthier food. I immediately wonder what the source of the higher fiber will be. I love Mary’s Gone Crackers and Dr Kracker Krackers and would suggest TLC’s form kashi for the Wheat Thin eater. It’s just as easy to purchase these foods. I eat these and find them enjoyable. I resent the previous commenter’s notion that we need junk food to enjoy life…

  • Daria

    I like Triscuit Thin Crisps, they only have 3 ingredients: whole wheat, oil, and salt. I do wish they would hurry up and offer a low salt version as well.

  • http://520eastbrands.com Shane Shaps

    I’m with Karen Greenberg on all counts. The company is making a move in the right direction. Whether they are doing it for publicity or because they genuinely care…well…does that really matter? What they are offering is a healthier choice. I agree, Karen, way to go Kraft.

  • WilliamB

    I think you’re being a little hard on Nabisco about this. Wheat Thins and Triscuits are relatively healthy, as crackers go. There’s room for improvement, yes, and Nabisco is moving (slowly) in that direction. It’s not perfect but it sure beats Doritos.

  • http://www.livingitupcornfree.com kc

    With at least seven sources of GMO corn or soy, this is not a relatively healthy cracker. I would go so far as to say that nothing with soybean oil and enriched flour (GMO corn derivatives present always) can ever be healthy. If I bought snack crackers, I would buy one of the organic brands without the GMOs.

  • Dan

    What’s wrong with GMO? That’s just a way of speeding up breeding :) . But seriously, look for expeller pressed soybean oil in the ingredient statement. This stuff here is bleached and deodorized. Also, ask yourself if you really want ingredients from China when looking at the list of ingredients – there are at least a few that I am sure are sourced from this country. @kc