Trading standards force M&S to review labels

Mismatch between claims and facts?. Credit: M&S (fair use) / www.realbreadcampaign.org

Published: Wednesday 1 October 2025

As the result of trading standards complaints by the Real Bread Campaign, M&S is reviewing labelling and marketing claims on a number of products.

In May 2025 the Campaign sent a complaint about an apparent numerical mismatch between the legal declaration of ingredients on the back and marketing claim on the front of ‘Only 5 Ingredients’ rolls, to Birmingham City Council, which has a Primary Authority (PA) relationship with the company. The Campaign then followed up with similar complaints about other products in the company’s ‘Only X Ingredients’ range.

Also in May 2025, the Campaign submitted a complaint about a marketing claim made by M&S on bags of flour milled from a modern variety of rye. The Campaign highlighted that, as the product is neither wheat or an ancient variety, the statement was both misleading and factually incorrect.

Review

On 25 September 2025, a trading standards officer at London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH), the local authority where Sustain / the Campaign is based, sent updates.

Rye flour: ‘the PA is still to get back to me with more details, but I understand M&S is currently reviewing and amending some of their packaging.’
‘Only X ingredients’ products: I have been informed that the PA is currently working with M&S on a review of their labels on these 2 products.’

Other issues

The Campaign's complaints about M&S ‘wholemeal’ loaves made with non-wholemeal flour, and ‘baked in store today’ products that in truth are manufactured outside the UK, remain under trading standards investigation.

Mor recently, M&S did not respond to the Campaign's repeated questions, sent to 16 major brands, about 'fermented wheat flour'.

See also

Where are the bread police?

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Chris Young
Campaign Coordinator
Real Bread Campaign

Chris Young has coordinated the Real Bread Campaign since March 2009. In addition to lobbying for an Honest Crust Act of better loaf composition, labelling and marketing laws; he created and runs Sourdough September; Real Bread Week; Real Bread For All; Together We Rise promoting therapeutic/social benefits and bread making; the No Loaf Lost surplus reduction initiative; as well as Lessons in Loaf and Bake Your Lawn for schools. He’s the author of the Knead to Know…more microbakery handbook and Slow Dough: Real Bread recipe book; and edits True Loaf magazine.

From 2014-18, Chris also coordinated the London Food Link network, which included editing The Jellied Eel magazine and helping to launch and run the Urban Food Awards. Chris has pulled on his judge’s wig for BOOM Awards, The Cateys, The Great Taste Awards, The Scottish Bread Championship and The World Bread Awards. In 2017, The School of Artisan Food honoured Chris with its first Fellowship.

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