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| - I regularly purchase sourdough bread at this store. I have asked specifically if it is a genuine sourdough bread or if commercial yeast is added in addition to the levain. They confirmed in the past that no yeast is added, providing me with the label where the ingredients are listed.
Today when I went to purchase, I asked if there were any other sourdough loaves without added commercial yeast. They explained that their breads have added commercial yeast, I asked them to confirm and they brought forth a baker who said no commercial yeast is added and the label is correct.
I added several loaves to my basket and went about my shopping. Before checkout I was approached by the baker and his manager (a professionally trained baker and chef as she described herself). They explained that in fact, seasonally they add commercial yeast to the bread because sometimes it takes longer to proof than they have time for. I asked why this isn't on the label and they explained that it is simply too complicated to update the label when they make the change.
Concerned, I expressed that this is mislabelling of food, and similarly, they could substitute organic flour for non-organic simply because they are short stocked, that they have an obligation to properly label their foods and that customers like myself for varying health reasons choose whole foods because they are seen to provide the healthier more natural options, that this is a clear violation both of their obligations and their mission statement, core values and quality standards. That they should be held accountable.
Here's a link to their mission statement, check out their quality standards and core values. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values
Here's a list of the ingredients on the label:
Organic white flour, organic wheat flour, water, sourdough starter (organic white flour, water, whole wheat flour, sea salt) sea salt. Contains: Wheat.
Notice there is no yeast added. With a genuine sourdough, the sourdough starter provides wild yeast. Adding commercial yeast to this is a shortcut to gain a faster proof at the expense of the health benefits of sourdough's fermentation process. Whole foods should know better than to lie about its ingredients.
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