YOU may want to pay closer attention to your bowl of cereal in the morning as Weetabix has been forced to reveal it makes Asda and Morrisons’ own-brand fruit and fibre.
Cereal manufacturer, Weetabix Food Company, is best known for its range of Weetabix, Weetaflakes, Crunchy Bran, and Oatibix cereals and breakfast drinks.
It’s also behind cereal brands Alpen, Ready Brek, and Weetos.
But what it doesn’t divulge on its “Our Brands” web page is that it’s also behind some supermarkets’ own-brand cereals too.
The Sun reported back in 2017 that Weetabix-style cereal at Asda and Tesco is made by the same firm as the real deal.
But now a recall issued by Weetabix after it found plastic in packets of cereal reveals that it’s the manufacturer behind Asda and Morrisons’ own-brand fruit and fibre cereal.
ASDA and Morrisons' fruit and fibre ingredients lists are near identical:
Asda’s fruit and fibre ingredients (750g)
Whole Wheat (70 per cent) , Raisins (17 per cent), Sugar, Sweetened Dried Banana Chips (6.6 per cent) [Banana, Coconut Oil, Sugar, Flavouring], Toasted Coconut Pieces (3.5 per cent), Malted Barley Extract, Dried Apple (1.5 per cent) [Apples, Preservative (Sulphur Dioxide)], Roasted Chopped Nuts (1.5 per cent) [Hazelnuts, Almonds (Nut)], Salt, Vitamin and Mineral Mix [Niacin (B3), Iron, Pantothenic Acid (B5), Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B6, Folic Acid (B9), Vitamin B12] .
Morrisons’ fruit and fibre ingredients (500g)
Wholewheat (70 per cent), Raisins (17 per cent), Sugar, Banana Slices (7 per cent) (Banana, Coconut Oil, Sugar, Flavouring), Coconut Chips (3 per cent), Malted Barley Extract, Dried Apple (1.5 per cent) (Dried Apple, Preservative (Sulphur Dioxide)), Roasted Nibbed Nuts (1.5 per cent) (Hazelnuts, Almonds), Salt, Niacin, Iron, Pantothenic Acid (B5), Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12.
Food giants often produce supermarket own-brand versions but the secret is kept under wraps for commercial reasons.
The recipes are often similar but sometimes contain subtle differences.
But if you take a peek at the ingredients for Asda and Morrisons’ fruit and fibre they’re near identical – see the box above.
Whether Weetabix’s own-brand fruit and fibre contains the same ingredients isn’t clear as we haven’t been able to source a full ingredients list.
On the front of the box it says it contains “a blend of Wheatflakes with raisins, banana, coconut, apple, hazelnuts and almonds” – all ingredients listed in Asda and Morrisons’ versions.
When it comes to price, back in 2017 we found that Asda and Tesco’s versions of Weetabix were much cheaper than the real thing.
But that’s not the case with the fruit and fibre.
Weetabix’s own-brand fruit and fibre (500g) costs £1.29 at Poundstretcher – the only retailer we could find selling it.
In comparison, a 500g box of Asda’s fruit and fibre costs less at £1, while Morrisons’ version is more at £1.50 (for a 500g box).
The Sun has asked Weetabix if it makes any other supermarket own-brand cereal and we’ll update this story if we get a response.
We’ve put the same question to Asda and Morrisons and again, we’ll add in a response if we get one.
We reveal other big name firms that secretly make own-brand products for big supermarkets – and what you could save by switching.
Meanwhile a new TV show reveals the horrifying supermarket secrets you need to know from “fresh” apples that are really a YEAR old to nearly half of chickens being infected with a deadly bug.
Plus, we’ve found nine ways to cut your supermarket bill this weekend.
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