Our daily bread.

(From Essex Chronicle Series)

Byline: Sarah O'Meara

Unless you're a baker, the phrase 'fresh bread' rarely sparks a heated debate.

But last week, when the supermarket chain Tesco was asked by the Advertising Standards Authority to change the wording on its adverts, lovers of a freshly-made crusty loaf held up their rolling pins in victory.

It seems that 1,288 of Tesco's in-store bakeries are used to heat up frozen loafs rather than bake loafs "from scratch" as advertised, and the Campaign for Real Bread took issue with the shop's misleading claims.

But while many people might find it odd to worry so much about where bread comes from, professionals believe it's importance to get more fresh bread on our shelves.

According to food historian Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra, the texture of pre-packaged bread which is manufactured on an industrial scale often tastes like "cotton wool" and is packed full with additives and preservatives.

"How many additives must they add if it's still okay a week later?" asks the author of Warm Bread And Honey Cake, which won Cookery Book Of The Year 2010, at the Guild of Food Writer Awards.

"Those loaves are choc full of salt, hidden sugar, chemical improvers - that's what makes it taste fresh; you're eating lots of things that aren't good for you."

"But because of this bread, people will complain if a loaf …