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Nutrition

nutrition

The USDA recommends eating six ounces of grain products every day, and at least three ounces of whole grains. Whole grains can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 36 percent, and foods made with enriched white flour are packed with essential B vitamins, including folic acid. So eat a sandwich, it's good for you!

allergens

Millions of Americans have food allergies, and for them, knowing exactly what's in their food can be a matter of life and death. At Country Hearth, our breads and buns are made with no dairy, eggs, or soy allergens, and are baked in our Fargo, ND, St. Cloud, MN, and Sun Prairie, WI facilities with no tree nuts or peanuts used as ingredients.

Our bagels, croutons and Slender Rounds, and English muffins are baked for us at other bakeries that may contain dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish and shellfish.

The FDA has recently included sesame as a major food allergen. In order to meet the requirements of the FDA with our current processes, Pan-O-Gold Baking Co. would need to conduct allergen cleaning (removal of all protein) and post cleaning allergen protein verification for all of the processing equipment before baking any breads and buns that do not include sesame seeds. This requirement was created by the FDA to assure food safety for those customers who would be affected.

To assure the safety of our products from cross-contamination the decision was made to simply make sesame common to all of the products and include the prescribed sesame allergen as a warning on all of the packaging labels. As part of that compliance, the FDA requires that the ingredient be present. Therefore, we will be adding trace amounts of sesame flour to all our bread and bun dough recipes.

We are sorry that this change to the FDA sesame labeling has brought us to this action, but it is better to assure food safety than to create potential risks to the health of those affected by sesame allergies.

A reaction to a food can be the result of an allergy or an intolerance. Food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, can cause problems with digestion and do not involve the immune system. An allergy is the body's negative reaction to a particular food protein, which occurs when the immune system mistakenly believes a food is harmful and can be life threatening.

If you or someone you care about has a food intolerance or a food allergy, the most important step is to read food labels and avoid offending foods. As of 2004, all food labels must contain allergen warnings.

Know the symptoms of allergic reaction, so that if accidental ingestion does occur, appropriate help and medical treatment can be sought. Reactions can be mild or deadly. View the symptoms of food allergies.

natural sweeteners

Why reinvent sweet? The best sweeteners are those created by nature, such as honey, molasses and sun-ripened raisins. Add a little love and you’ve got the perfect recipe.

Honey contains over a hundred different compounds, not just fructose and glucose. It’s a whole food and has a small amount of minerals, amino acids and vitamins. Bees have thrived on it for thousands of years!

Molasses used to be the most popular sweetener in the early days of America. When sugar is refined, the juice of the crushed sugar cane is boiled until it becomes sweet, sticky and delicious!

Raisin juice is a marvel! Not only does it sweeten and enhance the color of baked goods; it acts as a natural preservative, extending the shelf-life of bread products.

the good grains

Eating grains, especially whole grains, is recommended by the USDA. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies.

Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.

Energy provided by carbohydrates is essential. Complex carbohydrates, like those found in whole grain breads, buns and bagels, are burned slowly to fuel your body for hours at a time.

Eating foods containing whole grains has been associated with reductions in risks for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can help with long-term weight management.