European consumers didn’t fall in love with ancient grains by accident.
Years of growing interest in provenance, digestibility and nutritional integrity primed the market – and made it mandatory for the bakery industry to bring itself up to speed. What was initially confined to craft counters and niche health concepts is now driving real volume across retail shelves, foodservice formats and snacking categories. The question for bakery producers today is no longer whether to incorporate heritage cereals into their portfolios; it is how to scale them reliably and profitably.
Part of this renewed interest is also linked to growing attention around agricultural resilience and the future of food systems. Some ancient grain varieties are naturally more resilient in harsher growing conditions and can require fewer agricultural inputs compared with modern crops.1
Ancient grains are also offering bakery manufacturers and retailers new ways to differentiate through both sensory appeal and ingredient storytelling, offering a taste experience that is considered both more authentic and better aligned with conscious nutrition preferences.
This is where ingredient expertise becomes a strategic asset. For bakery manufacturers looking to act on this opportunity, the challenge is usually execution. Integrating heritage cereals into existing production lines without disrupting processes, reformulating for consistency and building the right sensory and nutritional profile all require deep formulation knowledge.
Companies such as CSM Ingredients, a Nexture company, have been developing that expertise for years. CSM Ingredients today offers a vast range of solutions that combine heritage cereals, sourdough systems, aromatic malts and process-friendly formulations, allowing bakers and manufacturers to introduce ancient grain specialties into their assortments with confidence and without operational complexity.
Why ancient grains are resonating with consumers
Ancient grains refer to cereal varieties that have remained largely unchanged over centuries, preserving many of their original characteristics and flavour profiles. Ancient grains such as Einkorn – considered the grandfather of today’s wheat – Emmer, Ancient Spelt, Ancient Rye, Ancient Barley and Khorasan have been part of European breadmaking culture for thousands of years, in some cases dating back as far as 10,000 BC.
In recent years, these original crops have experienced a strong revival, driven by growing consumer interest in authentic taste experiences and more conscious food choices. Bread and bakery products made with ancient grains are increasingly appreciated for their distinctive flavour profiles, as well as for the perception of naturalness and craftsmanship they convey.
For consumers, these flavour profiles create products that feel more authentic and closer to traditional baking culture. Baked goods made with ancient grains respond to the desire for foods that feel pure, unadulterated and rooted in heritage, while also aligning with growing expectations around conscious nutrition and ingredient transparency. Rustic crusts, visible grains and seeds, darker crumb colours and irregular shapes all contribute to a stronger perception of quality and artisanal character.
Ancient grains naturally support this positioning while also aligning with consumer interest in simpler, more recognisable ingredients.
CSM Ingredients began dedicated cultivation projects together with selected agricultural partners as early as 2006 and launched its first ancient grain solutions in 2008. Since then, it has developed specialised know-how in the formulation of bakery and pastry solutions based on ancient grains for markets across Europe and beyond.
The challenge: Heritage ingredients in modern production
Despite their strong consumer appeal, ancient grains can present technical challenges for bakery manufacturers.
Compared with modern wheat varieties, heritage cereals often behave differently during processing. Gluten strength, water absorption and dough tolerance can vary considerably, making it more difficult to achieve consistent volume, crumb structure and machinability at industrial scale.
For bakers, the challenge is therefore twofold: creating products that deliver authentic artisanal quality while ensuring stable and efficient production processes.
Modern bakery solutions are helping overcome these barriers by combining ancient grains with carefully balanced functional systems. CSM Ingredients’ mixes, for example, are made with carefully selected ingredients and recipes built around blends of ancient grains such as Emmer, Einkorn and Ancient Rye combined with mild sourdough and aromatic malt systems to support both flavour development and process reliability. These solutions also allow to meet growing trends of naturalness and conscious nutrition.
The company’s ancient grains portfolio today includes more than 30 solutions. The range spans from rustic and specialty breads – including loaves, baguettes, ciabatta and rolls designed for bakery counters, in-store bakeries and foodservice – to sliced bread applications intended for sandwiches, toast and breakfast products.
The solutions can also be used in savoury bakery items such as focaccia, breadsticks, crackers and snack products, while selected applications extend into leavened pastries and baked desserts, including cakes, breakfast pastries and pastry bases enriched with a percentage of heritage cereals.
Balancing artisanal appeal with production efficiency
Premium concepts must not only look authentic, they also need to work efficiently within modern production environments.
CSM Ingredients’ ancient grain solutions are designed around process-optimised doughs that reduce manual handling requirements and improve production consistency. Stable formulations help minimise production risks while supporting reliable scaling across different bakery environments.
Another important advantage is assortment flexibility. Bakers can create multiple recipe variations using a single mix, making it easier to rotate offerings, refresh assortments and respond quickly to changing consumer expectations.
The premium appeal of ancient grains
Ancient grains support premiumisation in several important ways. First, they create immediate visual differentiation. Rustic crusts, seed toppings, visible grain inclusions and handcrafted-style shaping help products stand out both in-store and online.
Second, they enable more layered flavour experiences. Sourdough and malt systems enhance the natural flavour complexity of heritage cereals, creating bakery products with deeper aromatic profiles and stronger eating experiences.
Third, they contribute to longer-lasting freshness perception – an increasingly important quality driver for consumers purchasing premium bakery items. CSM Ingredients’ solutions specifically focus on optimised hydration and technologically balanced formulations designed to maintain freshness over time.
Ancient grains also support premium positioning through storytelling. Their historical origins and connection to traditional agriculture provide bakery manufacturers with meaningful narratives that strengthen product identity and reinforce authenticity claims.
In addition, carefully selected ingredients and cleaner-label oriented recipes help respond to growing consumer expectations around naturalness and conscious nutrition.
Ancient grains across a vast range of applications, including small formats
CSM Ingredients offers a wide, modular range of over 30 products for bread, specialty bread and rolls, savoury snacks and leavened pastry products, allowing to build dedicated lines for different markets, channels and targets. The portfolio includes solutions for loaves, baguettes, sandwich breads, toast breads, breakfast goods, focaccia, breadsticks, crackers, cakes and breakfast pastries.
Ancient grains can also be used for rustic rolls and small baked goods, formats that are becoming increasingly relevant as consumers look for premium bakery experiences suited to convenience-driven lifestyles, snacking occasions and foodservice consumption.
This demonstrates how heritage grains can successfully move beyond traditional bread loaves into modern bakery applications that balance craftsmanship with convenience.
Innovation inspired by tradition
Today’s consumers increasingly connect bakery quality with ingredient transparency and origin stories.
Ancient grains naturally support this type of positioning because they evoke historical agriculture, traditional baking craftsmanship and slower food culture. These narratives help products stand out on shelves.
One of the most interesting aspects of the ancient grain trend is that it represents a different type of food innovation. Today, innovation increasingly involves rediscovering traditional ingredients and adapting them for contemporary consumer expectations. Ancient grains perfectly reflect this.
While the cereals themselves may date back centuries, the applications built around them are highly modern. This adaptability is helping ancient grains move beyond specialty bakery into wider mainstream adoption.
For ingredient suppliers such as CSM Ingredients, the opportunity lies not only in providing raw materials, but in helping bakery manufacturers successfully translate heritage trends into scalable commercial concepts.
References
- Majzoobi, M.; et al. The Role of Ancient Grains in Alleviating Hunger and Malnutrition. Foods. 2023 May 31;12(11):2213.
