A group of artisan and independent bakers have declared war on major bread brands over sourdough - claiming many high street loaves aren't genuine. The Real Bread Campaign (RBC) claims makers of wrapped and slice bread are creating a ''sourfaux free-for-all'' that is impacting real soudough makers.
It has hit out after five major trade bodies presented Defra with its ideas for new labelling guidelines to try and 'clarify the term' sourdough. But the RBC says none of the proposals make for 'genuine' sourdough as they include additives, leavening agents and yeast - which aren't part of the traditional process.
They say new uses of the word sourdough would permit the use of so-called processing aids - making the bread inauthentic. The 'sourfaux' storm centres on the RBC arguing that only bread skillfully-crafted over a long period can be called sourdough.
RBC coordinator Chris Young said: "We believe that the industrial loaf fabricators’ proposed code undermines the integrity of the word sourdough with muddled meanings that would make things more, not less, confusing for shoppers. Its adoption would create a sourfaux free-for-all, which would also have a negative impact on real bread bakeries of all sizes that bake genuine sourdough.
"We work with hundreds of bakeries that create more jobs per loaf through crafting genuine sourdough and other real bread to nourish people in their local communities. Sidelining the true custodians of the ancient craft, trying to rewrite the rules to suit their own commercial needs and cashing in with fundamentally different products is just wrong."
The row kicked off when a group of five trade bodies presented Defra with a ‘UK Baking Industry Code of Practice for the Labelling of Sourdough Bread and Rolls’. The group says that it aims to ‘clarify the term and prevent misinformation when it is applied to products in the UK bakery market’.
The five are ABIM (The Association of Baking Ingredients Manufacturers), The British Sandwich and Food To Go Association, Craft Bakers’ Association, Federation of Bakers, and PAPA (Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association)
One of Britain's leading artisan bakers has backed the RBC movement. Alice Drake, of Hobbs House Bakery in Bristol, said: "As advocates for true sourdough we support The Real Bread Campaign’s argument.
"Sourdough is bread in its purest form and begins with a starter, a living wild yeast culture which is used to raise the bread, ours has been used and replenished daily for and incredible 64 years. A true sourdough is a natural bread that requires highly skilled bakers to make, its long fermentation time of often 24 hours gives it its unique tangy taste and makes its easier to digest.
"Baker’s yeast or additives should never be used, a loaf not using the proper method that calls itself sourdough is highly misleading."
RBC has been lobbying for an Honest Crust Act since 2009, which it says would include a clear definition of sourdough bread made without any additives. It believes that people should be given similar shielding from words like wholegrain, freshly-baked, sourdough and artisan.
It has now renewed its call to bakeries, industrial loaf manufacturers and other organisations to unite in support of its call for a change loaf law. It is also asking Defra to reject the proposed code as it says shoppers, consumer groups and the majority of Britain’s genuine sourdough bakers were not consulted.
These are: Aldi Specially Selected Bake At Home Sourdough Baguettes; Allinson's; Asda Extra Special Mozzarella & Tomato Sourdough Pizza and its Extra Special Sourdough Crumpets; Braces Gwynny White Bloomer with Added Sourdough; Co-op Irresistible Sourdough Bloomer and its Irresistible Sourdough Crumpets; Dr Oetker The Good Baker Stonebaked Sourdough Vegetable Pizza; Hovis English Muffin with Sourdough; Jacksons Traditional grains oat and barley loaf heritage edition and its Traditional grains rye and spelt loaf heritage edition; Lidl Irresistible Ancient Grains Sourdough Bloomer and its White sourdough boule; M&S Made Without Sourdough Bread Cob; Morrisons The Best Sourdough Crumpets and its The Best Sourdough Pizza Dough Balls; Sainsbury's Taste the Difference White Farmhouse with Sourdough; Tesco Finest White Sourdough Loaf, its Finest White Loaf With Sourdough and its Free From White Cob With Sourdough; Waitrose San Francisco Sourdough Style Bloomer, Waitrose Free From Sourdough and its Stonebaked Pave with Buckwheat Sourdough; Warburtons Gluten Free Artisan White Sourdough Cob, Country White with Sourdough, White with sourdough (listed by Sainsbury's as Artisan White Sourdough Bread) and its White Gluten Free Bread Sourdough.
RBC is run by the food and farming charity Sustain. A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told the Express : “Our products are labelled in line with UK Bread and Flour Regulations (1998).
“The ingredients and nutritional content of products are available on the pack and our website. This is so that our customers can make informed decisions about the products that they buy. Where a product is produced by our in store bakery customers can speak to our colleagues and receive this information from them, or check online.”
Aldi and Tesco when asked to comment told the publication their products comply with UK Baking Industry code of practice and labelling regulations. Other bakers and supermarkets have been contacted for comment.
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