The EU HealthBread project intends to form an association to drive commercialisation of its healthy bread technologies and concepts across the Europe. 

The EU-funded programme plans to have the group in place before the year is out, according to British Baker’s sister publication BakeryandSnacks.com. It has investigated methods of improving the nutritional profile of breads using altered grains, fractions, concentrates and different fermentation and baking processes.

Of the eight companies involved, five have already commercialised products with some due to launch this January. Of those products, many have been developed with a different take on the HealthBread principles, including alternative fermentation processes, such as fermenting only part of the dough or using sourdough fermentation techniques.

Jan Willem van der Kamp, HealthBread project leader from TNO Food and Nutrition, said the next stage was to spread the word to other European bakeries.

The association has not been finalised yet, but if it happens, it will be used to pool all information, communicate results and act as a first point of contact for companies interested in its technologies. Companies involved would use the trademarked HealthBread name.