Every sourdough starter - and bread made from it - is different. The species and strains of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in each sourdough starter culture is unique.​ Another way in which Sourhouse is encouraging American and Canadian bakers ‘to sourdough’ is by giving away free sourdough starter. The project is scaling up slowly with the goal to give away 5,000 starters by the end of 2024. But Superloaf also includes soluble fibre to help slow down glucose absorption in the small intestine, and fermentable fibre to provide a good environment for the friendly bugs in the large intestine. The Great Britian Nutrition and Health Claims Register includes none specific to sourdough fermentation, meaning it’s not legal to make a nutrition or health claim that isn't on the register.​

Added Young, “It’s great to see so many cooks, chefs and caterers show leadership around a staple of the diet by ditching additive-laden, ultra-processed industrial loaf products, in favour of delicious, nutritious Real Bread.​ The demand for nutrition innovation among the major food retailers has been pretty much universal, much greater than we expected … given that a rapidly growing number of UK consumers actively want nutrition in bread to improve.”​ Campbell said one of the biggest challenges was to ensure the loaf would be highly scalable so it could be used outside the artisanal market and in the industrial sector. The bread cost “many millions of pounds” to create, with funding from five Innovate UK grants and private investors. It was developed in partnership with several scientific organisations, including Newcastle University’s Biosciences Institute, food technology giant Camden BRI and the Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition & Health. “No one single company can do this on its own,” said Campbell. “You need an ecosystem of partners.”Unlike Superloaf 2.0, which was unveiled in 2021 and featured ingredients such as barley flour and tapioca flour, the latest version uses standard white flour. This, Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell told British Baker, was so it’s “much more accessible in terms of flavour and texture” to consumers. Superloaf inventor Melissa Sharp and Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell first launched the product in 2021 following six years of research and development. This had been focussed on two key areas: replicating the nutrient profile found in a fruit, veg and whole grain diet from natural plant sources, and developing the processes required to integrate it into processed foods. It was created in partnership with the likes of the Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition & Health and food technology company Camden BRI. “Dozens of other businesses and disciplines have been involved in the birth of Superloaf – from academia to government, scientists and the life sciences, business and investment communities, and an increasing input from the creative industries,” he adds. Alexander Vasis, senior buyer, bread and morning goods said M&S was “delighted to be partnering with Modern Baker to bring the nutritious Superloaf to our shelves from April. We know our customers are increasingly health conscious, so it’s great to offer an innovative new product made specifically to support gut health, alongside our Vitamin D fortified range. We are sure our customers are going to love it.” Superloaf 5.0 has been developed entirely starting with human biology at cellular level and that is the lens through which the product has been designed,” he said.

We at the Real Bread Campaign love all Real Bread and the people behind its rise. During September, we focus on celebrating genuine sourdough bread in particular,” ​said Campaign coordinator Chris Young. With 'diabestity' joining climate change as one of humanity’s greatest challenges, the arrival of the loaf opens a brand new approach to the chronic nutrition problem across the globe – increasingly linked to the explosion of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which now represent over 50% of the UK’s calorie intake. Sharp’s researchers confirmed what nutritionists have long known, that immunity is supported not through a single ingredient, but through the interaction of a range of different ingredients in a healthy diet. “Building a stronger immune system isn’t about one-off miracle foods, it’s about eating the right foods every day: hence our focus on the UK’s staple food,” says Professor Jeff Pearson, who led the team at Newcastle. Superloaf is seeded and sliced. It provides 208kcals per 100g. That’s 26.8% lower than Warburtons Original Seeded Batch and 25.2% lower than Hovis Seed Sensations. Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College, London, and lead scientist of ZOE and the ZOE Covid Study, stresses the connection between the bacteria in your gut (your gut microbiome) and the functioning of your immune system.The company was launched in 2021 by Erik Fabian and Jennifer Yoko Olson with a shared vision of a world where people gather daily to share homemade sourdough bread and other fermented foods. The result is a loaf that tastes and toasts exactly as you'd expect, with added hidden superpowers. Modern Baker has big ambitions which include taking Superloaf into new markets and venturing into new categories within the bakery market and further afield. The result of five years’ R&D, the seeded Superloaf contained “a unique blend of fibres” and “plant chemicals” said Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell. It was “designed to optimise your gut health”, which in turn supported immunity. Equii has expanded its better-for-you bread portfolio to allow consumers to have ‘the best of both worlds’ - that is, nutrition and flavour.

Unhealthy UPFs make up nearly 60% of UK’s calorie intake, ramping up the runaway obesity crisis that is placing immense strain on the country national health system (NHS). Contains valuable soluble fibre that is known to improve blood sugar control as well as providing the specific prebiotic fibre that feeds the billions of microbes/bugs in our gut that are important to our immunity. Added Campbell, “Good nutrition is medicine, and with the help of many leading scientists, significantly funded by the government, Superloaf has been specifically designed to be the first processed staple food with this as its core purpose. We want Superloaf to take a lead in food systems becoming the solution, rather than the problem.​

Tell me about the business

Even if conclusive, results of a single study - particularly one involving only tens or even hundreds of participants - can’t necessarily be extrapolated to apply to all sourdough bread made in exactly the same way as used in the experiment. ​ The launch of the Superloaf comes at a time when consumer interest in the role of immunity in diet is at an all-time high, prompting a growing number of brands to sell their products on the basis of immunity-supporting claims. Receiving our sixth grant in a row from Innovate UK is tremendously encouraging, and a brilliant validation of Alt-Nutrition staples that benefit digestive and gut health, potentially ushering in a new era of mass-produced foods that are nutritious and have a net positive impact on wellbeing and the planet. ​ Also known as linseed, this has been shown to regulate blood sugar, which is closely linked to immunity. Its readily fermentable qualities are appreciated by our gut microbes.

Furthermore, it has been adapted for mass production, resulting in a nutrient-dense loaf which is accessible in terms of both price and sensory factors – in particular, loaf volume and crumb softness – so it resembles the 8m sliced and wrapped loaves bought daily by bread-loving Brits, but with greater depth of flavour. I love looking after myself, something I didn’t do prior to my breast cancer diagnosis. For me, everyday involves some sort of exercise whether that be just a dog walk, reformer pilates, yoga or some hiit training. Eating right is also crucial for me. It’s important for us as a team to reap what we sow, which means ensuring our bodies are fueled with the right nutrition. This free-to-attend webinar​​ is one not to be missed and take places on Thursday, 28 September 2022 at 3:00 BST/4pm CET/9am CT. If you can’t make the live event, register anyway. The webinar will be made available to registrants after the broadcast date as an on-demand presentation.

How are you funded?

Trendspotting in 2023: Lay’s overcomes the ‘chips in’ or ‘chips out’ conundrum; Pillsbury creates bakery bouquets for Mother’s Day; and Quinn launches another market-first We’ve streamlined in all sorts of areas – decision making has got easier as our purpose has intensified, and as our business model has emerged we can run on a much smaller team. By having our mission front and centre of everything we do, it gives everyone in our business a lens and purpose. And this mission can take us into new food types to ultimately create more nutritionally complete Alt-Nutrition foods.