Through its innovative LIFE (Lesaffre Immersive Futures Experience) pavilion at iba 2025, the French fermentation specialist transported visitors into a forward-looking vision of bread anchored in two pivotal studies: a global consumer survey and a scientific literature review.
Together, the studies underscore bread’s unmatched cultural, emotional and nutritional relevance.
Bread and the body
Despite global headlines predicting the decline of bread, Lesaffre’s consumer survey – which spanned 11 countries and 5 continents – tells a different story. In fact, 56% of global consumers eat bread at least once a day, with numbers soaring as high as 84% in countries like Turkey. Even in regions where bread consumption is reportedly falling, only 1 in 7 consumers say they have actively reduced their intake.
Bread taps into something deeper: ritual, memory, comfort. That emotional loyalty holds strong across all consumer segments Lesaffre identified, from the health-conscious buyer to the nostalgic traditionalist.
“We were surprised by how emotional bread still is for people,” Sandrine Cuisenier, a marketing expert at Lesaffre, told this site. “It’s more than food - bread is a matter of the heart.”
Behind this emotional loyalty is tradition, culture and memory, said Cuisenier. “Even those who’ve reduced their bread intake often describe it as a guilty pleasure.”
Be they a rational nutrition-focused buyer or a nostalgic bread lover, nearly all consumers share one common thread: a deep-seated bond with bread as a symbol of home, routine and comfort.
Slice of science
Emotions, however, don’t feed the world, so enter science. In parallel to the consumer survey, Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology carried out a literature review, putting into perspective the main preconceived ideas about bread consumption.
“Bread is not just tradition – it’s nutrition,” said Léa Ribet, scientific affairs research associate at Lesaffre. Ribet led the landmark review – which was published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in late 2024 – analysing over 2,000 studies and distilling it down to 200 that focus on bread’s health impact.
“Our findings challenge the narrative that bread is just empty calories,” said Ribet. On the contrary, bread – especially wholemeal varieties – is a dense source of dietary fibre, plant-based proteins, B vitamins ( B1, B3 and B9), complex carbohydrates and negligible amount of saturated fat. It makes up 22% of daily energy intake in Poland, 12% in Italy and 8% in the US, according to national dietary surveys.
Critically, the review found no strong link between moderate bread consumption and negative health effects when eaten as part of a balanced diet. “Bread doesn’t inherently lead to weight gain or poor blood sugar control,” Ribet explained. “In fact, when made with whole grains and fermented properly, it can support gut health, reduce glycaemic impact and increase mineral absorption.”
Fermentation nation
Surprisingly, although 1 in 3 loaves worldwide is made with Lesaffre yeast, the company’s consumer research found that most people don’t recognise bread as a fermented food, even in countries like France where bread culture runs deep.
“That was one of the biggest surprises,” said Cuisenier. “People eat bread daily but rarely think about how it’s made.”
For Ribet, this knowledge gap represents a golden opportunity. “Fermentation is essential to bread. It’s what makes it digestible and nutritious,” she noted. Through fermentation – especially sourdough fermentation – bakers can reduce anti-nutrients, improve mineral bioavailability and tailor the bread’s nutritional profile.
Ribet’s team is exploring next-gen fermentation techniques to amplify bread’s functional benefits, such as promoting gut health or sustaining energy. “We’re working with novel ferment strains and wholegrain flours to increase the positive impact on the consumer’s microbiome,” she said.
The takeaway:
- Highlight the use of long fermentations, sourdough starters or specialty cultures on packaging. It’s a simple, science-backed selling point.
Craft over claims
But innovation must tread carefully. “Innovation has to respect tradition,” said Cuisenier. “People don’t want gimmicks – they want authenticity.”
Lesaffre’s research suggests consumers are sceptical of over-promised benefits like ‘sleep-enhancing bread’. Instead, they’re looking for small, meaningful improvements: a bread that is easy to digest (75%); that provides enough energy to start the day (74%) and enough energy to sustain the day (73%).
Clean labels are important, too, which is a cautionary tale for the gluten-free trend. While essential for coeliac sufferers, Ribet noted that well-made traditional bread is often nutritionally superior. “Many gluten-free breads have ingredient lists full of additives – it’s the opposite of what people want.”
“Consumers want bread to remain natural and simple,” added Cuisenier.
The takeaway:
- Boost fibre to support digestion and slow energy release. The new high-fibre, multigrain and enriched breads are particularly appealing to health-conscious consumers.
- Use sourdough or long fermentation for enhanced tolerability.
- Minimise E-numbers and additives.
- Communicate simply and clearly (don’t overcomplicate).
Cutting through the UPF controversy
The term ‘ultra-processed’ looms large and bread sometimes gets unfairly lumped in under the NOVA classification. But Ribet is quick to debunk this label.
“Not all processed bread is unhealthy,” she said. “In fact, some studies show that even bread considered ‘ultra-processed’ doesn’t have the same negative health outcomes as other UPFs.”
The takeaway:
Don’t let the label define the loaf. Bakers can counter the narrative by:
- Prioritising high-quality ingredients.
- Simplifying formulations.
- Being transparent about processing methods.
A platform for public health
What should the future of bread look like? For Cuisenier, it’s all about reconciling emotion and reason. “Bread is heart and health. That’s the challenge - to bring both together.”
Ribet agrees. With its broad reach and everyday presence, bread is uniquely positioned to deliver essential nutrients to large populations – quietly, effectively and affordably. “Bread is an ideal carrier for spreading essential nutrients to large populations. It’s already widely eaten, so let’s use it as a force for good.”
This makes it a potent platform for wellness-forward innovation, from fortification with key micronutrients to sustainable packaging breakthroughs like Lesaffre’s latest strippable, recyclable bread wrapper.
The duo’s message to bakers is optimistic: stick to the roots, embrace the science and listen to the people. Because as they put it: “Fermentation is bread’s life. And bread is people’s life.”
Study:
Léa Ribet, Amira Kassis, Emma Jacquier, et al (18 Nov 2024): The nutritional contribution and relationship with health of bread consumption: a narrative review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2428593
