Month: February 2022

This is a follow up to my previous post: The mystery of “Ingredients”

I’m posting Campbell’s response to my ask about [Chicken Stock] so it can be read in its entirety:

Thanks for reaching out regarding the garlic and onion used in our products.  

Although labeling the presence of garlic in the product’s ingredient statement is not mandatory in Canada, Campbell Company of Canada has begun listing garlic on all new labels, no matter how small the amount. We will not include garlic, regardless of the form, under the broader listings of “spices” or “natural flavors”. Labels already in market may not include this voluntary labeling disclosure.

Unfortunately, we don’t maintain updated lists of products that contain or do not contain garlic or onions. Product recipes change frequently, and ingredients are periodically added and replaced, so we don’t attempt to keep lists of products that either contain or lack a particular ingredient. Please click on the link below and provide name and flavor or UPC number of the product and we can look further into this for you.

I hope I’ve been able to answer your question. Please contact Consumer Care at 800-410-7687 or visit Campbell Company of Canada website if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
XXXXXX
Consumer Advocate
Consumer Care

If you are like me you likely spend a lot of time looking at ingredients. Metro (A canadian company) has recently tried to help identify low FODMAP foods by adding it to the labelling on their shelves. This “Should” be helpful. It’s certainly helps to identify items that we could be low FODMAP. But here’s where it could fall down, below is a product that Metro has identified as low FODMAP. Tell me if you can spot the problem.

Campbell’s^® Concentrated Chicken Broth (250 mL)

Ingredients: CHICKEN BROTH (WATER, CHICKEN STOCK), YEAST EXTRACT, SALT, SUGARS (DEXTROSE), CANOLA OR SOYBEAN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, CARNAUBA WAX, NATURAL FLAVOUR.

If you are a computer, then you would think this result is “Safe”. But what’s in the Chicken Stock? Chicken stock usually contains some vegetables so which ones? I want to commend campbell’s as they do call out a lot of things on their labels that makes me feel like they are doing an accurate job and a product I can trust. Please do not think that I’m calling them out as being bad at listing ingredients. Their beef broth ingredients does really do a good job of calling out onion and celery in their seasoning. This would make me feel like they ‘should’ have called out if they were using it. But it’s not clear to me after looking at their website what their policy is. I did reach out to Campbell’s to ask what’s in their “Chicken stock” recipe. At the time of publishing this article they had not responded to my request. I will update this post if they do respond and help to clarify their position.

Fodmapeveryday.com has a great article on “Natural Flavouring” and “Spices”. Definitely worth a read.

TLDR:

You are responsible for your own health, use store label’s to help identify what “should” be good, and then as usual do your own homework.