Tesco boosts fibre content in pies and chilled bread

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Tesco has increased the fibre content of own-label baked items, including pies, pasties, sausage rolls and chilled breads.

Garlic Slices, Garlic Baguettes, Finest Roast Vegetable Hand Stretched Flatbread and chilled Chicken & Mushroom Pies are among the products to see their fibre levels boosted (see extended list below).

The fibre content of the latter, for example, has increased from 1.1g per 100g in 2007 to 1.7g per 100g in 2019, representing a 55% increase. Chilled Ciabatta Slices, meanwhile, have seen their fibre content increase by 85% from 1.4g per 100g to 2.7g per 100g.

“We have now started to boost the wheat content in some of our most popular foods, such as pies, pasties, sausage rolls and garlic bread, but without changing the taste, flavour or texture of these products,” said Tesco food developer Angela Hughes, who oversaw the project.

“But this is only the start and we plan to go further by looking at other wheat-based foods such as pizza, as well as adding more fruit and vegetables to our recipes wherever possible.”

It comes less than a week after a landmark study, commissioned by the World Health Organization, was published. It found that people who ate higher levels of dietary fibre and wholegrains had lower rates of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

In 2015, the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommended an increase in dietary fibre to 30g a day for those aged 17 and over. However, Brits on average consume about 18g a day.

Tesco lines with added fibre include: