Schär Maestro Cereale — ENGINEERED
Munch or Dump rates Schär Maestro Cereale by Schär ENGINEERED — score 30/90.
Looks like seeded multigrain bread, but it's built on refined maize and rice starch with added sugar, sunflower oil, and a modified-cellulose stabilizer. The seeds are a sprinkle; the structure is lab-built.
Why this verdict
- Refined maize starch + rice starch are the dominant ingredients — fiber-stripped, fast-digesting
- Two added sugars: rice syrup and honey
- Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose — a synthetic stabilizer doing the gluten's job
- Seeds and whole grains total under 9%; mostly decoration
- NOVA 4 ultra-processed: refined-starch base + added sugar + refined oil + stabilizer
Ingredients (18)
- maize starch (moderate) — Refined starch used to thicken the sauce — processing marker.
- Sourdough (rice flour, water) 14% (safe) — Fermented rice flour base; the one genuinely traditional element here.
- rice starch (moderate) — A second refined starch filler stacked on the rice flour.
- Vegetable fibre (psyllium) (safe) — Soluble fiber that genuinely aids digestion and slows sugar absorption — the real source of the fibre claim.
- rice syrup (concerning) — A third distinct sweetener, pushing this into engineered-sweetness territory.
- Sunflower Oil (moderate) — Refined seed oil added to the sauce.
- Soya flakes (safe) — Adds some plant protein and texture.
- Sunflower seeds 2.1% (safe) — Whole seed contributing healthy fats and fiber.
- Millet flour 2% (safe) — Whole-grain flour; small amount.
- Flaxseeds 1.9% (safe) — Source of omega-3 ALA and fiber, but only a trace.
- Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (moderate) — Synthetic modified-cellulose stabilizer that mimics gluten's structure — a hallmark of ultra-processing.
- Quinoa flour 1.3% (safe) — Whole-grain flour adding protein; trace amount.
- Soya protein (moderate) — Isolated protein extender to stretch the meat.
- Soya bran (safe) — Fiber-rich bran fraction.
- Iodised Salt (safe) — Adds sodium and iodine; fine in moderation.
- Poppy seeds 0.6% (safe) — Whole seed; trace garnish.
- Chia seeds 0.6% (safe) — Omega-3 and fiber source, but barely present.
- honey (moderate) — Natural but still concentrated sugar; another sweetener in an already sweet product.