Select your location
A clean label simply means transparency and simplicity in food products. It focuses on using natural, recognizable ingredients without unnecessary additives, artificial preservatives, or synthetic colors. When you choose clean-label products, you're opting for food that's closer to its natural form, crafted with integrity and mindful nutrition. It’s a movement that empowers consumers to make informed, healthier choices for themselves and their families by knowing exactly what’s on their plate.
Traditionally, bread is made using simple and wholesome ingredients: wheat flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and sometimes a small amount of oil. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in the bread-making process:
Essential for hydrating the flour, activating the gluten, and dissolving the other ingredients to form a dough.
A leavening agent that produces carbon dioxide, causing the dough to rise and making the bread light and airy.
Feeds the yeast to enhance fermentation and adds a hint of sweetness.
Balances the flavors and strengthens the dough structure.
The primary ingredient that provides structure to the bread, with its gluten content responsible for the bread's elasticity.
Helps keep the bread soft and adds moisture for a better texture.
Despite this straightforward recipe, most breads in the market today come with a long list of unnecessary additives, including preservatives, colors, and palm oil, often used to make the bread fluffier and extend its shelf life. This complicates what should be a simple, wholesome food.
Adding to this complexity is the confusing use of terminology by brands:
Often implies partial use of whole wheat flour but contains refined flour.
Despite the claim, some products include refined flour or other additives.
Suggests traditional Indian whole wheat flour (atta) but can still contain maida (refined flour).
Frequently gets its color from caramel or added sugars rather than whole grains.
These misleading claims make it difficult for consumers to identify genuinely healthy options. That’s why at The Health Factory, we chose to name our bread "Zero Maida," which essentially means 100% whole wheat—honest, and free from unnecessary ingredients.
Bread Red Flags: Ingredients to Avoid.
When choosing your daily bread, it's essential to look beyond marketing claims and examine the ingredient list. Many commercially produced breads contain additives such as preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial colors that may pose health risks. These ingredients help improve shelf life, texture, and appearance but can potentially cause gastrointestinal discomfort, allergic reactions, or even hormonal imbalances over time.
Preservatives help extend the shelf life of bread by preventing microbial growth and spoilage.
Emulsifiers improve the texture, stability, and moisture retention in bread.
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree. It is widely used in bread making because it’s inexpensive, has a long shelf life, and helps improve the texture and moisture of the bread, making it soft and fluffy. However, there are significant downsides to its use. Palm oil is high in saturated fats, which can increase bad cholesterol levels in the body, raising the risk of heart disease and other health issues when consumed in large amounts.
At The Health Factory, we prioritize healthier alternatives by using sunflower oil or olive oil in our breads, offering a cleaner and more heart-healthy choice.
Reading labels the right way is a key step in making smarter, healthier choices for your family. At The Health Factory, we believe that transparency is crucial, which is why we encourage you to always check the ingredient list. By doing so, you can easily spot unnecessary preservatives, added sugars, or hidden ingredients that don’t belong in a clean, nourishing diet.
Labels are more than just a list of what's inside, they give you the power to choose products packed with goodness like whole grains, fiber, and no artificial additives. Make informed decisions, and give your family the healthy, wholesome foods they deserve. It's about choosing quality, because when you choose right, you choose health.
