Product Review and Press Release: Rudi’s Bread

We got a press kit from Rudi’s Bread last month. They are announcing a partnership with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), the details of which can be found in the press release included below. Along with the press release was a little sandwich box, some promotional material, and a loaf of Rudi’s Multigrain sandwich bread.

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery was launched by Boulder, Colorado, based Rudi’s Organic Bakery. They worked with the Gluten-Free Certification Organization to make sure that their products are safe and gluten-free, and also strive to use only organic ingredients. Here are the ingredients in their multigrain bread: Water, potato extract, rice starch, rice flour, sorghum flour, organic high oleic sunflower/safflower oil, organic evaporated cane juice, organic honey, egg whites, organic inulin, yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum, organic cornmeal, organic sunflower seeds, organic millet, organic flaxseed, organic molasses.

We’re diligent ingredient readers, so we both found it disheartening to see that the first three ingredients besides water were rice or potato products. We also noticed that the bread contains inulin, which regular readers will remember is a strange sweet-tasting indigestible fiber, most likely derived from chicory root and which basically amounts to a “natural” artificial sweetener. We also noticed that the only items that have flavor, the millet and molasses, are in the last three ingredients. So yes, what we have here is American white bread with a slight millet flavor to it.

We just happened to have some Udi’s bread around to give it a head-to-head taste test with, and found that they tasted about the same. Upon tasting it, Sienna immediately pronounced the Rudi’s to be “typical awful gluten-free bread.” I have to agree. It has to be toasted to become palatable. The texture is grainy. Besides the millet, there isn’t really much flavor to speak of. We do have to include the disclaimer that if you’re into tasteless white bread, then this might be something you would like. It certainly isn’t what we look for when shopping for something called “multigrain” bread, that’s for sure.

This is where we mention that locally-made Jensen’s bread really beats the heck out of Rudi’s (and Udi’s). Their bread is so amazing that I’m going to include a link to their list of where you can buy it, here. Also, we have to reassert our position that people who are serious about their bread should probably get a book on making their own and invest in a bread machine.

Unfortunately, we still can’t get Jensen’s at Whole Foods or New Seasons. So who do we like between Udi’s and Rudi’s? If you’re at Whole Foods, get their own gluten-free bread. It’s got a weird crunch to the texture, but the flavor is way better. Between Udi’s and Rudi’s, I would have to say it’s a toss-up. I liked the slight millet flavor of the Rudi’s, but the Udi’s had a better texture. Udi’s ingredients are less healthy, though, being mostly tapioca starch, brown rice flour, and modified potato starch.

Sorry Rudi’s. We do appreciate that you’re supporting the gluten-free community and also we did enjoy the package. We wish we had better things to say. Here is Rudi’s press release:

As you may know, there are an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from celiac disease, yet only 160,000 are diagnosed. We’re pleased to announce that Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery is working with NFCA to support education for the diagnosis of celiac disease, with our new Spread the Bread charitable program, which launched in late December.

For every dollar coupon downloaded, Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery will give a dollar to the NFCA, up to $20,000, to help in its efforts to better educate physicians in the diagnosis of celiac disease. Coupons are available on the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery website and Facebook page.

We are also proud to announce the launch of our new Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery website. We hope this new website will provide all the detail you could need about our new gluten-free breads – from product ingredients and nutrition facts to local availability – as well as helpful information about local gluten-free events, a variety of gluten-free recipes, links to our partners and educational resources, including NFCA, the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Sprue Association and Celiac Disease Foundation.

In addition to the website, we’ve also launched a new blog, Baked on the Bright Side, where we’ll be providing all of the latest news on Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery and the gluten-free community. We’re eager to hear what you think of the blog and website!