Morrisons promises to correct half-baked labelling and marketing

On 6 February 2026, a trading standards officer at London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) passed on a response from West Yorkshire Joint Service (WYJS) to a long-standing complaint by the Real Bread Campaign. 

WYJS stated: ‘[Morrisons has] confirmed that with the exception of the granary baps, all of the other items where [the Real Bread Campaign coordinator] says the fortificants aren’t declared, are Best breads. These use non-UK flour. Morrisons Head Office have told stores to remove the best signage that suggests items are baked from scratch. It appears that this store has not heeded this and so the Head Office has contacted them to remove the signage ASAP.’

Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young said: ‘How many years has Morrisons been profiting from using “made from scratch in our in-store bakery”, “baked in store from scratch” and “made in store from scratch using British flour” promises to shoppers, about products that were manufactured elsewhere? It’s no wonder that 71% of respondents to a recent survey believed that many supermarket “baked in store” or “freshly baked” claims are misleading.’

Young added: ‘It’s a year and a half since Morrisons previously promised to remove the incorrect and misleading loaf tanning salon signage. What confidence do we have that it will do so now?’

WYJS’s reply also stated that Morrisons’ ‘the Best’ products ‘use non-UK flour’. What remains unclear is where those premium-priced products are manufactured from it. Given the very limited legal options for selling ‘unfortified’ non-wholemeal wheat flour in the UK, the most likely possibility is that Morrisons is importing prefabricated products from somewhere outside the UK. 

With regard to the legality of Morrisons’ ingredient labelling on its Granary baps, WYJS reported: ‘the fortificants have been declared, but not next to both instances of wheat flour, so the label for these has now been amended.’

The officer at LBTH concluded: 'Regarding the wholemeal items containing non-wholemeal wheat flour, it is used as a carrier and therefore falls under the definition of processing aid rather than ingredient. It would normally be exempt from declaration, if it weren't for it being an allergen. I am satisfied with Morrisons actions and responses and will not investigate this any further.'

See also

• New research echoes Honest Crust Act calls
• Loaf-tanning salon lies?
• Dirty secret behind factory loaf 'clean labels'?
• What's 'wholemeal' hiding
• Words ‘woolly as white-sliced’
• Where are The Bread Police?