The bread aisle is evolving. As consumers reassess their relationship with staple foods, manufacturers face a pressing question: how do you remain relevant when 13% of your customer base has stopped buying your core product altogether?

Italian ingredients specialist Millbio believes it has an answer. The company's newly launched PANVIVO GLP1ve Bread Concentrate represents a strategic pivot towards what it calls "authentic, evidence-based nutrition" a response to dual pressures from the ultra-processed food debate and the growing influence of GLP-1 medications on eating patterns.

What the numbers reveal

Millbio's commissioned study of over 1,000 UK consumers paints a sobering picture for traditional bread manufacturers. Beyond those who've abandoned bread entirely, 22% have shifted to wholegrain, seeded or high-fibre varieties, whilst others have migrated to sourdough, drawn by its perceived health credentials.

The gender split proves particularly striking: 16% of women have cut out bread completely, compared to just 8% of men. Women also show a marginally higher preference for wholemeal and high-fibre options.

These figures arrive as bread sales face sustained downward pressure from functional foods and changing dietary habits. The message is clear: consumers who once regarded bread as a neutral staple now view it through a critical lens.

The ingredient response

PANVIVO GLP1ve draws on academic partnerships to combine advanced fibres, sprouted cereal grains, pulse flour, enhanced protein sources and sourdoughs. The formulation targets microbiome health, satiety and digestion, precisely the concerns driving consumers away from conventional bread.

According to Alessandro Boggiani, Millbio's President, the rise of GLP-1 medications has fundamentally altered the conversation around food categories once considered indulgent. "Consumer demand for smarter, more functional ingredients has accelerated," he notes, identifying an opportunity for breads naturally high in fibre and protein.

The product builds on Millbio's existing expertise in clean label preservation, now extended into functional nutrition territory. For manufacturers, it offers a potential route to portfolio renovation without abandoning existing production lines.

Beyond the launch

Millbio positions this ingredient as meeting the expectations of both UPF-conscious consumers and those whose eating patterns have been influenced by weight management medications. The company emphasises ingredient transparency and nutritional quality as core differentiators.

Whether PANVIVO GLP1ve can reverse declining bread sales remains to be seen. What's certain is that the traditional bread category faces pressure from multiple directions and manufacturers are searching for credible responses that go beyond marketing claims.

Millbio will present the product at Fi Europe in Paris, 2-4 December, Stand 7G26.