The baguette and the croissant are part of the French way of life, but ultimately we know very little regarding their composition, especially since there are few regulatory obligations. “60 Million Consumers” conducted the survey.
The baguette: a product that we know well. A sort of French way of life, the baguette is even listed as an intangible heritage of humanity. Two-thirds of French people consume it every day, and industrial bakery chains are springing up like mushrooms. The problem is that we don’t always know which product we are dealing with!
Patricia Chairopoulos is a journalist at 60 Million consumers. She plunged into the jungle of bakeries this month, and tested 26 products: baguettes, croissants; 26 industrial brand references.
franceinfo: First thing: when we talk regarding a “tradition” baguette, what does that mean exactly?
It is a term strictly framed by the “bread decree” of 1993, which imposes on artisan bakers, whatever their size, a very precise production: shaping by hand, and a ban on the use of additives. This wand should only be made from wheat flour, water, salt, yeast or sourdough.
But is there a difference between the “traditional” baguette – which you find at your bakery – and the one you buy in a supermarket, or in an industrial bakery brand?
As soon as there is the mention “tradition”, normally, it is a product that meets the same criteria, whether it is sold in supermarkets, in a bakery chain or by an artisan. Knowing that the regulations prohibit this baguette from being frozen at one stage of its manufacture, which rules out, de facto, its sale in cooking terminals.
We are talking regarding the industrial bakery; it’s true that we see more and more brands like Marie Blachère or Feuillette. Is it worrying for the artisanal bakery?
These chains are set up on the outskirts of towns or in the countryside, where rural desertification has often got the better of the small village baker. But we are dealing with real bakeries since their breads are made on site, from A to Z. What precisely to compete with small bakeries, especially since these chains highlight their artisanal manufacture, in particular with windows opening onto the workshop and the bakery.
In addition, they can multiply promotions such as a free bread for three purchased or reduced prices at the end of the day, thanks to their purchasing centers which allow them to have very attractive prices on raw materials such as flour, yeast and other ingredients, which is not precisely the small craftsmen who have to pass on, at least in part, the increase in the costs of raw materials and energy.
There is a standardization of products in the industrial bakery but not only? In many artisanal bakeries, we see generic products such as Banette or Campaillette for example. Does that mean that there is nothing handcrafted anymore?
Yes. It’s artisanal in the sense that the baker continues to knead, shape and bake his bread on site. But to make their work easier and to offer customers a constant quality of their baguettes, a certain number of them opt for a brand such as Banette, Baguépi, Festive or other Campaillette.
In return for sales assistance (via marketing tools such as sachets, creation of the storefront, etc.), the craftsman must buy the flour from a mill that is a partner of the brand, and follow its recommendations in terms of manufacturing: kneading and fermentation times, hand shaping, number of blade strokes, etc.
But are there any rules for all this?
Yes, because “bakery” are only authorized to be displayed in businesses governed by a law passed in 1998: the law authorizes this mention only to bakers making their bread from A to Z, from kneading to baking, on the place final sale.
You have analyzed 13 baguettes and 13 croissants from industrial brands. In terms of composition, what does it give, and in terms of salt, fat, or fiber content?
With an average of 0.75 grams of salt per 50 gram serving, the baguettes are too salty! “Donkey’s cap” especially at La Mie Câline, of which a portion of 50 grams alone represents a fifth of our daily salt intake (5 grams maximum / day).
At least croissants have the advantage of being less salty than baguettes, probably because the butter naturally gives the croissant flavor. At 0.66 grams of salt per unit, however, this remains beyond a reasonable value.
In terms of fat, nothing to say regarding the baguette, since there is no added fat or sugar for that matter. By contrast, the butter croissant is unsurprisingly fatty, averaging 12.5 grams for a 55 gram piece, much of which is in the form of saturated fatty acids. What’s more, croissants provide almost no fiber. Add to that the presence of sugar, not negligible for System U and E. Leclerc croissants… And you get a calorie “bomb”.
What regarding pesticides? Red card for croissants?
In terms of pollutants, while the results are generally satisfactory for baguettes, those for croissants show a certain level of pollution. Half of our sample contains pesticide residues, in particular two insecticides: pyrimiphos-methyl, often used during food storage, and cypermethrin.
Widely used in France, this synthetic substance has a toxic action, at least when sprayed, on humans and on cats. However, it is authorized by European regulations for the majority of crops.
Finally, our analyzes detected a molecule close to neonicotinoids, spinosad, which is very harmful to pollinating insects; this effect should also encourage the cessation of its use.
Which products come out on top in your survey?
A “tradition” baguette and a butter croissant, both manufactured and sold by a large retail chain. They contain almost no pesticide residues, are nutritionally correct for this type of product, and offer good value for money, at less than 1 euro each.
