Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products.
Climate is changing and the need for food is increasing as we become more and more people on the planet. At the same time health is one of the major issues of the century and healthy nutrition habits are of vital importance for improving general population health as well as saving resources for public health.
Research shows that our diets have a significant effect on our long-term health. Not only does being over or underweight lead to health problems – not eating enough of the right foods in the right balance can do the same. Research also shows that consumers are becoming increasingly more concerned about their health and wellbeing.
Building on our Nordic heritage and knowledge within the entire value chain from field to fork, we want to make sure that our expertise on the health benefits of whole grain and fibre is easily available to the millions of people that enjoy our bread products every day.
Bread – particularly bread containing whole grains – provides an excellent source of many nutrients, not least fiber. Bread also contains a lot of essential vitamins and mineral.
It is our responsibility to maximize the amount of healthy ingredients and nutrients in our products, for which a CO2-footprint has been created to make sure that we contribute to healthier climate friendly eating habits that have a high nutritional profile and require a minimum of resource processing to turn into food.
This graph shows how much we lose different nutrients, if we use refined flour and not whole grain flour.
Bread’s role in a healthy lifestyle
Bread, made basically from wheat but also from other grains, is a staple food widely consumed all over the world since ancient times (10,000 BC) providing approximately half of consumed carbohydrates. The nearly ubiquitous consumption of bread places it in a position of global importance in international nutrition.
Bread was initially baked in the home using simple homeground wholemeal flours, and styles of bread, and the methods used to make them evolved to satisfy local tastes and eating habits. Flour milling and subsequent breadmaking on a commercial scale emerged as vital components of local societies, and flour-based foods evolved into the current diversity.
Data revealed during the Whole Grain Summit in Vienna in November 2018 showed that replacing refined grains with whole grains globally could reduce the burden of chronic disease more than any other change. It said that worldwide, cereals provide nearly 50% of energy intake – yet most of these foods are composed of refined grains and flours. Research shows that health benefits from whole grains are associated with replacing as little as two servings of refined grain/flour foods with whole grain foods. For some dishes, bread plays an important role and in some it even plays the major role. Even just for bread and butter, it is important to favour nutrient-dense breads with nutrients such as fibre and wholegrains to cash-in on all the health and nutrition benefits.
Unibake is committed to support our customers and consumers to favour healthier breads baked baked with wholemeal flours and providing the flavour and nutrients that take them back to their origins.
Making our products healthier as part of a balanced diet helps people improve their nutrition. And not compromising on taste while we do it, ensures that we build on /strengthen the sheer enjoyment of a piece of bread which plays an important role in making tummies smile.
Our innovation teams continually develop new products and upgrade existing ones while preserving the taste. Whenever we alter products, their taste, texture, nutritional value, price, quality and safety all need to be considered. And improvements in any of these areas must not come at the expense of the planet.
Good Food for a Healthy Life
To be able to offer healthy food, we need to keep a close and continuous eye on new knowledge within health and nutrition. Our owners, Lantmännen Group conducts research from field to fork. In partnership with several universities, they research the connection between food and health. Together with Lantmännen we are determined to lead the way with new products and in-depth dietary knowledge. Always with the aim of enabling people to choose good food for a healthy life.
