A rant about "now even better" Krusteaz Pancake mix

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JohnCurranLadd
JohnCurranLadd Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
I just sent a message to Krusteaz (a Contintnatla Mills brand), which just "improved" my favorite pancake mix (Honey Wheat Complete). My message read: "I am writing about your "now even better" new recipe Honey Wheat Pancake Mix. Comparing the old and new labels, your "improvements" include a 33% increase in fat (1.5 to 2g) with all the increase coming in the form of cholesterol (0mg to 0.5), 33% more calories from fat (15 to 20), 10 mg more salt, 25% less fiber (4g to 3g), 83% more sugar (6g to 11g), 25% less protein (8g to 6g). Looking at the ingredients list, you now include more bleached flour and less whole wheat flour. There used to be more soy flour in the mix than sugar - now both sugar and dextrose are listed above soy flour. The product used to include wheat bran and egg yolks and they are no longer on the ingredient list. You have added high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup (in addition to sugar, dextrose, and honey powder). You're pandering to the worst in American tastes. In what sense is your new product "even better" as your packaging claims? I suspect you mean 'even more profitable, we hope'".

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    If they send you a free box as a way to apologize, will you please tell me so I can LOL?


    (With you of course, not at you).


    Nice rant.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
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    I'm impressed. Most people don't even take time to read the ingredients, much less actually confront the company. Good job for keeping them accountable, though. If there were more people like you, maybe the food industry wouldn't be so horrible :(
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    So, 1.5g + .5mg = 2g?
  • Altandra
    Altandra Posts: 8
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    Sickening!
  • glennstoudt
    glennstoudt Posts: 403 Member
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    And you will find this in each and every packaged/processed mix you closely inspect. No doubt their reference is to flavor (added salt) and sugars for sweetness. To many people whole wheat tastes like cardboard. And it is in part an acquired taste to not use or add salt and sugars to your consumables. Your options are few except to vote with your feet and seek out another supplier that
    has ingredients oriented to your requirements. They are out there. I am a low carb guy, so pancakes went out with bread and many other things, so I can't help with a pancake mix. But I am sure someone else can. Their product used to meet your needs, but they found out that there is more money in people less concerned about contents than you. Label inspection is a must, please keep it up.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
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    Look for Bob's Red Mill stuff. They use a lot of whole grains. I have no idea if they have pancake mix but probably do. They also have gluten free and a few low carb things.

    glennstoudt-I replaced pancakes with muffin in a minute sliced and topped with SF syrup. It's actually pretty good.
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    It probably tastes a lot better now! *ducks*
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
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    I'm sure this can't replace your current fave, but when I'm craving pancakes, i make my own by blending 1/2 cup oatmeal into a fine powder, then blending that with 4 egg whites, half a banana, and sweetener. Very easy to make and sooo good!!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Other than the sugar, all of those nutrition label differences aren't due to different nutritional content, but due to rounding.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    Why are pancake mixes with all these nasty additives so popular in America? I really don't get it. Is it that people don't have the confidence or patience to weigh their own ingredients or something?

    Pancakes are simply flour, milk and egg and a pinch of bicarb, it's hardly rocket science!

    And yes that's "your" type of pancake, the British ones are a much thinner batter and use plain flour without bicarb, even simpler.
  • MrsR0SE
    MrsR0SE Posts: 343 Member
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    Why are pancake mixes with all these nasty additives so popular in America? I really don't get it. Is it that people don't have the confidence or patience to weigh their own ingredients or something?

    Pancakes are simply flour, milk and egg and a pinch of bicarb, it's hardly rocket science!

    And yes that's "your" type of pancake, the British ones are a much thinner batter and use plain flour without bicarb, even simpler.

    Absolutely! Much healthier to cook/bake from scratch rather than use cake/pancake mixes!
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Good job on informing them that they're not fooling anybody!

    i never buy pancake mix....but that sounds quite the marketing strategy...which is very common really.....sadly.

    its so much easier to make your own pancake batter...doesn't take up much time really.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
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    Good job on informing them that they're not fooling anybody!

    Unfortunately, they are fooling a lot of people :(
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    It really does not take that long to make your own from scratch. I do all the time. This morning we had homemade waffles and it took me about 5 minutes to mix them up. Good for you though complaining to the company.

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