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.