Sainsbury’s drops fresh bread claim

The change follows a trading standards complaint submitted by the Campaign in June 2024. 

Following a recent refit of Sainsbury’s in Penge, signs that boasted ‘freshly made every day’ and ‘skilled bakers’ have been removed and replaced by ones that simply state ‘Loaves & Bloomers’. While the new signage includes the claim ‘freshly baked’, this is restricted to prefabricated pastries that are baked (but not made) in-store.   

On 28 October 2024, a trading standards officer at Oxfordshire County Council, which has the Primary Authority relationship with Sainsbury’s, confirmed: ‘there is an ongoing review of the current labelling and signage in larger supermarkets (not Locals) and the resultant generation of new signage and labelling.’ 

Jump to updates

Still getting fresh with the facts in smaller stores

The Real Bread Campaign coordinator, Chris Young, noted the trading standard’s officer’s comment that Sainsbury’s is not reviewing the situation in its smaller stores. Young pointed out that in those outlets:

• no bread-type products are made, or even baked, in-store. They are RE-baked in loaf tanning salons, and so the ‘freshly made every day’, ‘freshly baked bread', 'our speciality breads are freshly baked in store every day...' claims do not accurately represent the facts of production.
• the craft/artisan-bakery-style merchandising (presentation in wicker baskets etc.) is not an accurate reflection of the industrial truth of manufacture. 
• the company chooses not to declare the facts of when, where and how the products are made, on packaging, labels, signage or elsewhere. 

Young said: ‘We believe that, in common with most of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s is misleading shoppers by omission of substantive facts, then compounding this with marketing spin.’ He went on to say: ‘People have the right to know the truth so they can make better-informed buying choices. Knowing the facts, some will still buy products because they’re available, apparently cheap, and they like the flavour; other people might choose differently.’

The Campaign is waiting to hear back from the trading standards officer if he has advised the company that their review needs to encompass all of its stores.

The Campaign continues to pursue similar complaints about most of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, and to lobby for an Honest Crust Act of updated and improved composition, labelling and marketing standards and guidance.

Updates

18 November 2024: We asked the trading standards officer for a reply.

8 November 2024: We replied to the trading standards officer: 'It is very disappointing that you have not advised the company to remove any signage, and have no intention of even discussing with them the way they merchandise/display re-baked, prefabricated products, but thank you for the clarification.

To help me ensure that what I communicate about the case is accurate, what instruction or advice/guidance you have given Sainsbury’s regarding the issues we have been corresponding about for the past six months? Specifically:

• The material facts they withhold from (or, at least, choose not to tell) shoppers about when, where and how products are actually made.
• The marketing claims (including: freshly made every day, freshly baked bread, freshly baked in store every day) they instead choose to make about products that are manufactured off-site and merely re-baked in-store.'

7 November 2024: With regard to the way Sainsbury's merchandises re-baked prefabricated, the tradiing standards officer wrote: 'I have not spoken to the business regarding these areas as I do not agree that the points you have raised have merit in light of the current legal framework.' He added 'I never advised the business that they should / must remove any of their signage.'

See also

• October 2024: Asda admitted its 'freshly baked daily' claim was past its use-by date
• September 2024: Co-op admitted it was using the claim ‘freshly baked today’ to market ready-made, ‘thaw and serve’ products
• July 2024: Morrisons admitted it was using the claim ‘made from scratch in our in store bakery’ to market products that were not made from scratch in store
• October 2023: Sainsbury’s forced to re-label 50% white loaf
• July 2023: Sainsbury’s ordered to say adios to white flour in wholemeal tortillas