Baked goods brands play the health card to woo shopppers

Bread is good for you. At least that’s what the category’s brands are trying to prove, as they pour out a stream of healthier NPD and enhance existing loaves with vitamins and minerals.

Hovis, for example, is hoping to woo shoppers who have ditched bread with its recently launched Hovis Good Inside range. The loaves contain twice the omega-3 of standard loaves and more wheatgerm which the brand says contains 14 vitamins and minerals.

Warburtons, on the other hand, is keen to promote the nutritional properties of Toastie loaf. “For Warburtons, an increasingly health conscious society means a focus on the nutritional benefits of our staple bread products, which are low in fat and sugars and a good way of filling up without eating too many calories,” says a spokeswoman for the brand.

“Two slices a day of Warburtons white Toastie loaf, for example, provides 22% of an adult’s Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) of calcium and 10% of an adult’s GDA of fibre.”

Kingsmill is also hoping to help consumers fall back in love with white bread. “Kingsmill has consistently led innovation in the healthier white segment and last year was no exception,” says Greg Bertolotti, Category Controller, Allied Bakeries. “Allied Bakeries launched the ground-breaking Kingsmill Great White, an award-winning soft white loaf that contains as much fibre as wholemeal.”

Others in the category are taking advantage of consumers increased interest in health. “The opportunity for Soreen is to demonstrate its health credentials. We have already started to highlight on Soreen Lunchbox loaves packaging that they are a source of fibre and low in fat,” says Beth Brown, marketing director at Soreen. “All our malt loaves are low in fat and our fruit loaves are low in saturated fat. Malt loaf is also recommended in Change 4 Life as a healthier choice.”