Is Asda Wholemeal toastie ultra-processed?

Wholemeal breads Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

19 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score B

Less processed wholemeal breads

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

wheat flour, water, wheat protein, yeast, vegetable oils and fats (rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm fat), salt (processing marker), spirit vinegar, soya flour, caramelised sugar (processing marker), mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (ultra-processing marker), calcium propionate, ascorbic acid, including cereals containing gluten, not suitable for rye, barley, oats allergy sufferers

Additives: E282 Calcium propionate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

wholemeal wheat flour, water, wheat protein, yeast, vegetable oils and fats [rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm fat], salt, spirit vinegar, soya flour, caramelised sugar, emulsifier (mono - and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids), preservative (calcium propionate), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid). allergy advice! for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. not suitable for rye, barley, oats allergy sufferers.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.

2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 102 wholemeal breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 36th. 85% of the wholemeal breads here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 102 wholemeal breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5054781563129, last edited 3 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of B (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.