The Association of Bakery Ingredient Manufacturers (ABIM) has published a new set of marketing terms and definitions around sourdough labelling.
This follows a rise in sourdough products purporting false claims, with ABIM’s Industry Code of Practice (CoP) for the Labelling of Sourdough Bread and Rolls looking to prevent misinformation and misleading and ensure integrity.
The CoP aims to unite the UK bakery sector behind clear and concise definitions for sourdough that prevents and incorporates rules on how to differentiate between methods of production so due recognition is given to the skill of the baker, while using the term ‘sourdough’ as a product descriptor.
The baking industry has collaborated to produce this voluntary, self-regulatory code, which is accessible via the ABIM website.
The CoP is supported and endorsed by a range of industry partners including the Federation of Bakers, Craft Bakers Association and others.
“Our members and partners have been working hard for the last five years to unite the bakery sector behind shared terms for sourdough that allow each baker to express themselves freely whilst making it clear to consumers what‘s on offer,” said ABIM President James Slater.
“We believe that that we’re there now and that this code of practice will play an important role in helping to make better, more delicious bread for all.”
'Sourfaux' code of practice
Responding to the new code of practice, a spokesman for pressure group The Real Bread Campaign said: "This document was written by people with vested interests in making, selling and using additives and baker’s yeast, none of which is used in the sourdough process.
"It was drawn up without the agreement of the majority of the people who make genuine sourdough in the UK. All it unites are a small number of companies seeking to profit from using the word sourdough in a way they see fit.
"Unlike the clear-cut definition we have presented to Defra, all this code would clarify is that if someone saw the word sourdough, they would still need to read the ingredients list to check whether or not that’s what they were getting."
