Shop-bought wholemeal bread may not be technically wholemeal as it contains other types of flour, a Which? study has found.

Some wholemeal loaves contain up to four different types of flour, despite regulations stating that the name "wholemeal" can only be used on bread if all the flour used in making it is wholemeal.

Researchers at consumer group Which? compared the ingredients of 11 wholemeal loaves, including the big four supermarket own-brands and leading brands Allinson, Hovis and Warburtons.

They found that every loaf contained soya flour, while fortified wheat flour, fermented wheat flour and barley flour were also discovered in small amounts in loaves.

According to the Food Standards Agency, which sets the regulations, for a loaf to be labelled as wholemeal, "all the flour used as an ingredient in the preparation of the bread must be wholemeal."

White bread is considered to be less healthy than brown bread Credit: Telegraph

However Hovis told Which? its loaf complies with the regulation and that the wheat flour is being used as a carrier or bulking agent, not as a 'flour ingredient'.

It also said 'soya is classified as a legume, not a cereal, so again would be outside of the scope of the regulation'. Experts said soya flour is apparently added to give bread better volume and crumb softness.

Allied Bakeries, which makes Allinson's and Kingsmill, said: "We use fermented wheat flour in our Allinson's Classic Wholemeal loaf for flavour and to help the loaf remain fresh for as long as possible."

In both of these cases the manufacturers claim that the non-wholemeal flours are not used as an 'ingredient' but fulfil another purpose, such as texture or to maintain freshness.

Which? said: "If you want to know exactly what flour is being used in your bread, you can always make your own. "With four ingredients - flour, water, yeast and salt - it's very straightforward, especially if you use a bread maker."

Which? said that even with the addition of other flours, a slice of shop-bought wholemeal bread contains around 2.5g fibre per slice, compared with the 1.1g of fibre per slice of white bread, making it a healthy option to choose." END