Modern Baker Superloaf

How ethical is Modern Baker Superloaf?

Modern Baker Superloaf is a bread brand which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Bread Ratings Table. While Modern Baker Superloaf meets the benchmark threshold, consumers should be aware that stronger alternatives exist within the sector and that several areas present opportunities for improvement.

Modern Baker Superloaf has not yet received The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation, an editorial endorsement awarded to brands which achieve a high ethical score across our multi-criteria assessment. Receiving this endorsement would strengthen the brand’s standing as a recognised ethical choice for consumers in the bread sector.

What does Modern Baker Superloaf do?

Modern Baker Ltd was founded in Oxford and describes itself as a life sciences company tackling diet-related ill health through nutritionally optimised bread. Its Superloaf product is a seeded sourdough formulated using plant-based ingredients including barley flour, hemp flour, seaweed, and psyllium husks, and developed through five years of laboratory research in partnership with Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition & Health. Superloaf is co-manufactured by Hovis and is stocked in M&S, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado.

Why does Modern Baker Superloaf perform well ethically?

Modern Baker Superloaf achieves good ratings across several criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide. The brand receives good ratings for fossil fuels, animal welfare, armaments, irresponsible marketing, and political donations, and has no documented public record criticisms. These reflect solid ethical conduct across governance and environmental criteria.

What could improve Modern Baker Superloaf’s ethical positioning?

Modern Baker Superloaf receives poor ratings across several environmental criteria that represent meaningful opportunities for improvement. The poor rating for environmental report is the most significant. For a brand that positions itself on health, nutrition science, and the positive transformation of food manufacturing, the absence of a published environmental report means that its sustainability commitments and practices are not transparently disclosed. Publishing an environmental report would address this gap.

The poor rating for organic ingredients is notable for a brand whose formulations are built around natural plant-based ingredients and whose predecessor products used certified organic ingredients. Pursuing organic certification would strengthen the brand’s environmental credentials and align this criterion with its ingredient ethos.

Modern Baker Superloaf also receives a poor rating for palm oil free status, indicating that its formulations include palm oil or palm-derived ingredients. Palm oil production is associated with significant deforestation and biodiversity loss, and its presence in a health-focused bread brand is a concern worth addressing.

Obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would provide editorial recognition of Modern Baker Superloaf’s ethical standards. Consumers seeking bread brands with stronger overall ethical credentials are encouraged to consult our Ethical Bread Ratings Table to compare alternatives. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.