A leading nutrition-advocacy organization is claiming to have persuaded Mondelēz International to be more explicit about the whole-grain content in its crackers.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) took after Mondelēz for statements on packages of Ritz crackers and Premium Saltines about their use of whole wheat flour. Mondelēz agreed to alter the front-of-package wording to more accurately reflect the proportion of wheat to refined flour in the product.
A joint statement by CSPI and Mondelēz says that the packages will state the percentage of wheat flour (34% for saltines, 44% for Ritz). In addition, when the phrase “baked with whole wheat” or “baked with whole grain” appears, the word “with” will be at least 75% the size as the rest of the phrase.
“The labeling changes that Mondelēz has agreed to make on its Ritz and Premium whole grain products are a significant step forward,” CSPI Litigation Director Lisa Mankofsky said in the statement. “This new and improved labeling will help consumers make informed decisions about the grains they consume and enable them to build a diet that meets the 50% whole grain recommendation. We hope that other manufacturers of whole grain products will follow suit.”
CSPI has reached similar agreements with Bimbo Bakeries USA and Flowers Food. In 2016, it sued Kellogg over a whole-grain claim for Cheez-It crackers, reaching an undisclosed settlement.
