Two bakery trade organisations have met up to discuss the negative press around bread.
The Federation of Bakers (FoB) and the Craft Bakers’ Association (CBA) met last week and British Baker understands that combatting the misconceptions around bread were high on the agenda.
The talks took place in the week that Prime Minister David Cameron announced his decision to give up bread in a bid to lose weight. British Baker has contacted Number 10 regarding Cameron’s decision to cut bread, and is awaiting a reply.
Speaking to British Baker, Gordon Polson, FoB director, said: “Part of the ongoing public relations work that we have been doing for years is about combating the negative image of bread and, in particular, the idea that eating carbohydrates isn’t good for you.
“If you go back to basic dietary advice, we all know your diet should be made up of complex carbs, of which bread is an important part.”
The FoB runs a campaign around this issue called Slice of Life, which has previously launched stunts like ‘don’t feed the ducks’ and a spoof ‘how to pack a lunchbox’ video.
Polson said: “We are working up to activities for 2015, but nothing is agreed as yet.”
He also directed a statement at the Prime Minister, urging him to eat bread, “To David Cameron, and anyone else who is cutting bread from their diet this January in the hope of losing weight, we urge them not to act so fast.”
Alan Clarke, chief executive of Scottish Bakers, likened Cameron’s shunning of bread to the uproar fellow politician Edwina Currie caused when she alleged that all eggs contain salmonella, prompting plummeting egg sales overnight.
“I was worried that he was having an ‘Eggwina’ moment,” Clarke told British Baker. “You do have to worry about nutrition and diet, but everything in moderation. Bread, as part of a healthy balanced diet, is good.”
The British Baker team have been having some fun with the PM’s bread ditch, and our designer has come up with this cartoon... feel free to share it on social media!
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