Bakery brand Modern Baker is working with Campden BRI to establish whether freezing can raise the health credentials of bread.

Oxford-based Modern Baker has secured its fourth successive funding award from innovation agency Innovate UK to evaluate the effect of different freezing processes on the starches in the bakery’s long-fermented products.

It will look at the impact of freezing on blood glucose response, fibre levels and nutrition.

“Freezing is a vitally important new frontier for the bread industry,” said Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell. “Our research suggests it can add a further healthy dimension to our already healthy bread and cakes, over and above supply chain and wastage advantages.”

This £100,000 funding award takes the bakery’s total live government-backed R&D projects to around £1m. Its previous funding awards were for: proof of market for healthier bread; improving fibre levels to help combat diet-related chronic ill health; and analysing its natural starter culture to explore potential spin-offs.

The company has another application with Innovate UK for additional research on freezing, which is pending a decision.

Modern Baker last year launched long-fermented, clean-label breads, cakes and biscuits following 18 months’ research and development with partners including Campden BRI and Newcastle University. The products are available mainly in independent food retailers, including Planet Organic and Selfridges.

“As we’re already a brand with products in the market we’ll be ready to incorporate the findings quickly, so we can further drive our consumer proposition of slow-carb baking,” said co-founder Melissa Sharp.

British Baker subscribers can see inside Modern Baker’s Oxford R&D centre here.