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. Consumers want to healthier foods, yet they don’t necessarily want these items to taste healthier: less sugary, salty or rich. Do you think the understanding of reformulation differs between industry and consumers? 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.​ The loaf also gets the thumbs-up from Raymond Blanc, whose Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant is near the Modern Baker’s bakery-cum-laboratory. The work it is doing to improve the nutrition of staple foods “is exciting and important,” he says. “Who knows, maybe the bread will start being called ‘the second Oxford vaccine.”

We’re not claiming Superloaf is as healthy as a vegetable,” Campbell said. “But we’ll get there. Superloaf is already fantastic, and it’ll get better and better. There’ll be constant upgrades.” The company formed as a response to the glaring fact that poor diet now stands alongside climate change as one of humanity’s most greatest challenges. A seaweed wild-harvested in the Hebrides and a rich source of plant micronutrients. Its key role in boosting immunity is reducing blood sugar release, as well as being a natural source of iodine. Superloaf is the world’s first ‘smart loaf’, claims Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell. It is meant as a healthier alternative to standard wrapped bread. “Superloaf is the first real step in our mission to democratise healthy baking, for the common good,” he says. “Industrial bread is the UK’s most eaten ultra-processed food. Superloaf represents a massive step away from this.” We already know what version 6.0 and version 7.0 will look like. There is a lot of momentum around evolving the concept now we have our first mass market Superloaf up and running,” he said. “We are looking at other routes to market for our nutritionally dense solution and that includes foodservice and in-store bakery as well as other branded options.”

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The event was sponsored by ADM, Food Paper and Lesaffre UK and took place at British Baker HQ on 7 July 2021. The judging line-up comprised: Newcastle’s Professor Pearson is upbeat: “The science behind Superloaf may well prove a breakthrough for the carb-based food industry – and hopefully for our immunity as a nation too.” What's in the bread A preference for bread produced from wheat that has been grown and milled as locally as possible to the point of serving. The other challenge has been keeping all the plates spinning during ‘stealth-mode’. How does SUPERLOAF answer an unmet need? Now, though, some of Britain’s top scientists have created a ground-breaking, mass-produced, sliced “Superloaf” that they claim can actually help support the immune system.

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.”​ 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. We are, however, careful to ensure that our passion doesn’t get the better of us when explaining why we think that sourdough bread is so great.”​ 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.​ She and the team are working on around 20 other “smart” bakery products that will contain the same special blend of fibres and phytonutrients. These products include appropriately-named digestive biscuits, as well as bagels, wraps, biscuits and cakes.One of the key roles of vegetables in our diet is as a source of health-boosting fibre, a key component of Superloaf. What distinguishes it from other breads, however – even the multi-seed, wholegrain ones – is that it includes a spectrum of fibres. Other loaves generally include insoluble fibre (often wheat bran) which is useful in helping to keep things moving in the gut. As one UK supermarket bread buyer puts it: “Our consumers have long understood calories and five-a-day. Covid has brought a new word to their lips: immunity.” Shortly after that we made a commitment to do everything in our powers to change these foods for the better, starting with bread. We then founded Modern Baker, which produces SUPERLOAF, and later, Oxford Food Tech for all our science and IP.

Sharp came up with the idea for SUPERLOAF while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, where she noticed the amount of sugary, unhealthy food served to patients. The added investment has allowed the standout innovator to ramp up its portfolio, to include a plain and multigrain bread, with plans for other types of bread - buns, bagels and rolls, along with flour - on the drawing board. The new bread has an artisanal look but is designed to be an everyday option. Modern Baker had “worked out processes so that we can have the best of everything” Campbell said. Plus, it was “delicious” he added. “If it wasn’t, we’d be dead in the water.”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.” 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. 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. A big breakthrough was funding from the UK government agency Innovate UK, allowing us to work with leading scientists and academics. Five successive grants and 6-years of R&D later, Superloaf was born.”​ This iteration of the loaf, he added, is sourdough but there will be non-sourdough options going forward as its “efficacy as a healthy product isn’t reliant on the long fermentation process”.

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.In fact, the level of technical support and collaboration from M&S has allowed this 5.0 version of Superloaf to be 12 months healthier than our R&D schedule had planned,” he added. The salt level should be no more than 1% and ideally at or below 0.85%, in line with the UK Government’s salt reduction targets for bread. Following its annual Sourdough September campaign, the Real Bread Campaign noted a rise in claims within the sourdough community. Modern Baker secured funding from five Innovate UK grants and private investors and worked in partnership with several scientific organisations including Newcastle University’s Biosciences Institute, Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition & Health and Campden BRI. The Superloaf team is also hoping to apply the same technology to other staple food groups such as pasta and cereal, and eventually to all carbohydrate-based processed foods.