Allied Bakeries has launched a new Kingsmill 50/50 loaf with added vitamins and minerals.

Allied said the Vitamin Boost loaf contains iron and vitamin B6, which contribute to the normal function of the immune system, calcium and vitamin D for healthy teeth and bones, and niacin and vitamin B1 for energy release.

Allied said two slices of the new loaf provide 30% of the reference intake of iron, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin and vitamin D and 38% of the reference intake for calcium and folic acid.

“Health is a key driver of grocery innovation and Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost is a significant innovation in the bread category, which needs to keep meeting ever-changing population and household needs,” said Kingsmill’s head of marketing Matthew Cullum.

“Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost helps families up their daily vitamin and mineral intake while giving retailers the chance to leverage health benefits to drive category growth.” 

Kingsmill said that vitamins are also present in the standard Kingsmill 50/50 loaf, as some are naturally present in the flour, and by law they are required to fortify white flour with two B vitamins (thiamin and niacin), as well as calcium and iron. Levels are, however, much lower than those in the new Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost, and standard 50/50 doesn’t contain any vitamin D, which supports healthy bones & teeth, the baker added.

The new loaf will be supported as part of a new national Kingsmill marketing campaign with Heart radio. Under the seven-month partnership, which began this month, Kingsmill will feature on the station in activity including school run sponsorship, promotional trails, competitions and advertisements.

Earlier this year Kingsmill launched a Super Seeds loaf, which it claimed helped to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.

Under The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998, all UK bread flour must be fortified with calcium carbonate, iron, thiamin (vitamin B1) and nicotinic acid or nicotinamide.