Faq
Our beloved customers have a lot of questions so we have collected the most frequent ones. If you are wondering about something, maybe the answer is right here.
Queries About Wasa
Is Wasa crispbread Swedish?
Read the answerCrispbread dates back to medieval times when it was baked in Sweden and Finland to preserve the crop over the long and cold winters. In Sweden, Wasa has baked crispbread since 1919, and it’s now appreciated and sold in over 40 countries around the world including Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Holland, France and Italy, but also in the USA. The company is since 1999 part of the Barilla Group.
Where does the name Wasabröd come from?
Read the answerWasabröd is a combination of the two words “Wasa” and “bröd”. Bröd is the Swedish word for bread and Wasa refers to the name of the Swedish king Gustav Vasa and was picked to create an easy and recognizable brand for all Swedes. Usually though, we simply refer to ourselves as “Wasa”.
About Our Products
How long can you keep Wasa crispbread?
Read the answerWasa crispbread has a shelf-life of approximately 10 months under normal storage conditions and all our products carry a best-before date. We recommend that you keep your crispbread in a dry and dark place.
Where does Wasa bake its crispbread?
Read the answerWasa has two bakeries, one in Filipstad (Sweden) and one in Celle (Germany). Combined these two bakeries produce around 55.000 tons of crispbread per year.
You are so well known for your crispbread, so why soft bread?
Read the answerWe know that our customers also eat soft bread and we cannot deprive them of eating either hard or soft. What is important is that it is full of wholegrain and fibre and low in sugar. That is why we have developed our own soft bread which is made with wholegrain, is high in fibre and low in sugar. Have a look at our soft bread range here
Where is Wasa soft bread produced?
Read the answerWasa’s soft bread is baked in Germany at one of Barillas facilities and is delivered to Sweden daily (the only market where it is currently sold). Since the distribution is integrated with ICA and COOP’s own retail distribution, we are able to avoid additional transport.
How is it that a Wasa Sandwich can stay fresh so long, even without refrigeration?
Read the answerThere are several different preservation methods and each has its pros and cons. Wasa Sandwich is a dry product with a low water content, something that makes it possible to, without preservatives, achieve a long shelf life. The product contains cheese powder (dried and powdered cheese) which is mixed with a vegetable fat. This facilitates a long shelf life and maintains the crispiness of the bread.
About Our Ingredients & Nutrition
How does Wasa ensure the quality of its raw materials and products?
Read the answerAfter many years of experience and research, Wasa has evolved its own specific standards regarding the flour in its products. This applies both to the flour itself and the farming of the grain it is milled from. Wasa’s environmental plan states that “the content of biological/chemical contaminants (e.g. pesticides, aflatoxins, heavy metals) in the raw materials for Wasabröd’s products may not exceed 75% of current EU-approved levels”. Our standards for raw materials are guaranteed both through meticulous quality control and through exacting requirements of our suppliers. Wasa assesses and monitors risk according to HACCP (see the website of the Swedish National Food Administration (Livsmedelsverket): www.slv.se. We are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BRC.
What is rye and where is it grown?
Read the answerRye is a cereal. It is predominantly grown in northern Europe (Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) and neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, Poland and the Baltic States).
What are the main nutrition values provided from rye?
Read the answerWholegrain flour made from rye gives a valuable contribution of carbohydrates in combination with high fibre and low fat. Many of our crispbread are baked on wholegrain rye flour.
What is malt?
Read the answerMalt is made up of malted barley and is used to add colour and flavour to the bread.
What is sourdough?
Read the answerSourdough is the most natural and traditional way to bake bread. It is a dough made from flour and water that contains naturally occuring lactobacteria and yeast. Baking bread from sourdough is a tradtion that has been used for centuries in typical ‘bread countries’ like Sweden, Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany. It is used to give structure and enhance the flavour of the bread. Have a closer look at one of our crispbread variants baked with sourdough here
What is E471?
Read the answerFor Wasa products, mono- and diglycerids extracted from vegetable fat to aid the baking process.
What is dietary fibre?
Read the answerFibres are partially or totally indigestible carbohydrates. They absorb fluids and expand, which makes us feel full and improves the efficiency of our intestines. Wholegrain flours contain a lot of fibre.
What is wholegrain flour?
Read the answerWholegrain flour is flour made from the whole grain, germ and shell of the grain. Wholegrain ingredients are made from the whole kernel, including the endosperm, bran and germ like in the intact kernel. Wholegrain ingredients can be present in many forms; like flour, whole kernels, cracked kernels, flakes, etc.
The % Wholegrain claim on the pack of Wasa products is based on the cereal part of the product. “100% wholegrain” indicates that all cereal ingredients used in the product are wholegrain. Here are just some of our 100 % wholegrain products: Sport, Husman, Falu Råg-rut, Surdeg Flerkorn and Delikatess, among others.
What spices are used in Wasa crispbreads?
Read the answerClassic spices such as cumin, aniseed, fennel, coriander and cinnamon are used in the production of crispbread. Sesame seeds, poppy seeds and pumpkin seeds are also used to enhance the flavour of some products. For more information see declaration of content on the wrapping.
Have a closer look at some of our crispbreads with a little extra taste flare:
Solruta Sesam: quite naturally, topped with sesame seeds
Solruta Pumpkin: topped with delicious pumpkin seeds
Runda Kanel: a lovely – and we mean lovely – cinnamon crispbread
Delikatess Linseed: a thin baked crispbread topped with linseeds
Which products contain sugar?
Read the answerAll products contain the sugar that is a natural part of the rye grain (approx. 5 per cent). Some products contain added sugar. See the declaration of content on the pack.
How many calories does a slice of Wasa crispbread contain?
Read the answerBetween 30 and 105 kcal per slice. For more information please see declaration on pack.
How many calories does Wasa Sandwich contain and how should it be stored?
Read the answerWasa Sandwich contains between 460-490 kcal per 100g and between 70-100 kcal per bar. The Sandwich does not contain any preservatives and should, like other crispbread, be stored in a dry and dark place.
Allergens
What does Wasabröd do to eliminate allergens?
Read the answerNuts
There are no nuts in any of our crispbread products. None of our crispbread production involves nuts or traces of nuts. If other Wasa products contain nuts or traces of nuts, this is clearly stated on the package.
Gluten
Gluten is part of the protein in wheat, rye, oats and barley. There is less gluten in rye than in wheat, but most varieties of our crispbread contain gluten. For people with gluten intolerance, we supply a special crispbread which is completely free from gluten and lactose – Wasa Gluten och Laktosfritt.
Milk
Both our bakeries handle milk in the production. Milk is managed with great care. For example, the milk ingredients are followed in all steps of the production. Transfer of milk ingredients from one product to another are highly avoided. If however there would be a transfer, confirmed by analysis, the milk allergen will be labelled as “May contain traces of milk” in the ingredients list. It is very important to read the ingredients list at every buying occasion since the latest valid allergen declaration is present on the pack.
Sesame seed
Sesame seed is handled in both bakeries and managed with great care in production. Sesame seed ingredients are followed in all steps of the production. Should there however happen to be be a transfer of the ingredient from one product to another the sesame seed allergen needs to be labelled as “May contain traces of sesame seed” in the ingredients list. It is very important to read the ingredients list at every buying occasion since the latest valid allergen declaration is present on the pack.
Egg
Egg is not being used as an ingredient in Wasa products and in the two Wasa crispbread bakeries no eggs are handled. Do however please read the ingredients list carefully because the latest valid allergen declaration is always present on the package. Some Wasa products are produced in other Barilla plants that are handling eggs.
Soy bean
Soybean is not being used as an ingredient in Wasa products. In the two Wasa cripbread bakeries no soybean are handled. Please read the ingredients list carefully at every buing occasion, because the latest valid allergen declaration is always present on the package. Some Wasa products are produced in other Barilla plants that are handling soybean.