perhaps more than any other staple food, bread routinely gets a hammering. For such a wholesome product – in theory – you're never far from headlines claiming bread is the devil incarnate. It's true that modern, industrialised bread has strayed far from its humble origins to something almost unrecognisable in flavour, texture and health benefits. But to tarnish all bread with the same brush is far from helpful.
The latest drama involves propionate, a preservative used to prevent mould in commercial bread baking. According to a study from Harvard University, propionate could trigger a "cascade of metabolic events" potentially leading to insulin resistance and weight gain. Though the study in humans was limited, the implication is that the acid, which is widely used across the food industry, could increase risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Chris Young, coordinator of the Real Bread Campaign, isn't surprised by the findings. Propionate is commonly found in bread, often listed as E280, E281, E282 or E283 depending on its form. "Over years several questions have been raised over this and other additives used. Calcium propionate [E282], for example, has been linked to hyperactivity in children and skin irritations in bakery workers, and propionates have been found to lead to a risk of migraine or eczema," says Young.
All food additives pass testing, buy Young says these are often on small groups and then presumed safe. Over the years, "one by one they get knocked off that list, so we're not sure if they're safe at all. We find anecdotally people say they can't eat industrial loaves and don't know why. Is it one or a cocktail of additives that's causing these problems?"
Young points to nitrogen trichloride, a flour bleaching agent banned in 1949 after giving dogs epilepsy; or potassium promate, a "flour improver" which in 1990 was prohibited in the UK as a possible carcinogen.
The Real Bread Campaign is calling for better labelling. When you buy a staple like butter or milk, you're pretty sure what't it's going to be made of: milk, perhaps with some salt thrown in. Bread, however, can contain up to 26 ingredients and additives. "Real bread is an ancient food with three ingredients, something most of us can eat perfectly safely, unless we have an allergy or intolerance. It can be made without additives, which, while they have a purpose, are not necessary."
Mould isn't an issue with real bread, Young explains, because it just goes stale. But when bread is wrapped in plastic, it creates a warm, sweaty environment perfect for mould to grow. Aside from anti-mould, additives are used to soften or relax dough, make it rise quickly, to create fluffy loaves, for uniformity or for colour. "Rather than using the skills of bakers who know how dough behaves, it's just banging in a load of additives to standardise the process," says Young.
With so many options on offer – wholemeal, wholegrain, multigrain, sliced white, rye, sourdough, high fibre, low FODMAP – choosing the best option can be tricky. Myriad claims of 'healthier' breads, like gluten-free or fortified, it's easy to be sucked into thinking proper bread is bad. We asked experts to help us answer a few burning questions.
Is bread bad for me?
It depends. Real bread, particularly if made with whole wheat, and containing the basic ingredients – flour, water, salt, yeast (whether natural or added) – is a wholesome, healthy food containing plenty of vitamins, minerals, fibre and good carbs.
While breads are mostly carbohydrate, we need carbs to provide our bodies with fuel. A brown loaf made with minimally processed grains will contain a good source of slow-release carbs. However, highly processed white flours have a higher glycaemic index (GI), meaning they are digested quicker and give you a raised blood glucose level and spike your insulin levels.
"Over the course of human history real bread has been enjoyable, delicious and very healthy to eat," Young stresses. Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist, agrees: "Bread isn't solely responsible for things like obesity, there are other factors at play. People tend to put things on bread that add up calories – butter, for example – and it's very moreish, it's hard to eat a small amount."
"Cheap white bread contains sugar and will break down quickly, affect your blood sugar, and leave you more hungry, which you wouldn't get from brown bread which has fibre. You can't single out individual foods for being responsible for weight gain. Eat them all in moderation and they will contribute to a healthy diet."
If you are someone who can only stomach sliced white, Hobson recommends loaves fortified with things like calcium, iron or thiamine. "Fresh bread would be healthier, but nutritionally it's not a massive difference."
What's wrong with mass-produced bread?
Historically, bread was baked in the home or by local bakers. Throughout the 20th century its production became increasingly industrialised, culminating in the Chorleywood bread process, invented in Hertfordshire in 1961.
The benefit of Chorleywood was that it doubled the shelf life of bread while cutting production costs, making bread in the UK among the world's cheapest, particularly mouthwatering after rationing.
But to quickly make uniform, squidgy loaves using the method, producers had to add hard fats, chemicals, sugar and double the yeast. Today, around 80 per cent of the bread we eat in this country is made using this method. This means we are eating highly processed, sugary bread which, for the reasons stated above, isn't great for our health. Brown bread and supermarket 'fresh' bread can also be made via this method.
Is sourdough better for me?
Sourdough bread, in which the base ingredients are simply flour, bread and water, with naturally cultivated bacteria and yeasts, is highly fashionable today. It's thought to be healthier, because those wild yeasts neutralise phytic acid as the bread proves, making the end product more easily digestible, plus natural yeast in sourdough protects against mould.
"There are many reasons to buy sourdough," says Young. "I enjoy the taste, texture, the way it's made, the long process that it takes to raise the dough, and the alchemy that leads to more complex flavours, aromas and acidity. It gives your mouth a bit of a workout which is enjoyable. It's the difference between instant coffee and genuine, fresh coffee."
Beyond the subjective, there may well be health benefits, though more scientific studies need to be done. Anecdotally, some with intolerances can enjoy sourdough bread, though it's not been scientifically proven and coeliacs cannot eat it as it still contains gluten.
A problem with the rise of sourdough is that many manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, falsely claiming their products are sourdough. According to a Which? campaign, a fifth of 'sourdough' loaves sold in supermarkets aren't made traditionally and contain additional ingredients for a sour tang, like vinegar or yoghurt.
While not necessarily unhealthy additions, Young says the problem is that it's misleading. "If it's not the real thing, and if there are health benefits, you won't be getting them. Sourdough bread isn't legally protected."
How do I know what I'm getting?
Aside from the 'sourfaux' scandal, several commonly sold breads contain misleading claims. The Daily Mail discovered, for example, that a major coffee chain's 'fresh' baguettes were in fact up to a year old, while supermarket loaves baked in-house are not required to list ingredients. 'Artisan' breads regularly aren't, while refined wheat loaves are often marketed as the healthy sounding 'wholemeal'.
"Ancient grains is another buzzword," says Young. "It could be a factory loaf made using the Chorleywood method with a sprinkling of spelt or einkorn. You're very unlikely to be getting 100 per cent. Flip it over [to see the ingredients list] and see what you're actually getting."
What is the difference between wholemeal and wholegrain, and is it better for me?
As mentioned above, whole grains are healthier than refined ones. They contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals, and their slow-release energy has a lower GI and keeps us satiated for longer.
But do we always know what we're getting? Would you be disappointed if a bread marketed as 'whole' actually only had around 10 per cent wholemeal flour?
Wholegrain contains the entire grain, including the bran, endosperm and germ. This is rich in carbs, protein, unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Wholemeal is made from wholegrains that have been milled down and have a plain brown appearance. It has a higher GI than wholegrain, though it has more fibre and nutrients than white.
"To be called 'wholemeal', 100 per cent of the flour used as an ingredient must be wholemeal flour," explains Young. "But there's a loophole. You can throw soya flour into that, or barley, or any other highly refined flour, so it's still not 100 per cent wheat flour necessarily. You can even throw added wheat gluten into it. It's ridiculous."