Is Bread ultra-processed?

Breads Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

24 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed breads

Crafted Signature Sourdough Bread Marks & Spencer 7 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Slow Fermented White Sourdough Toastie Loaf Co-op Irresistible 9 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Rye sourdough flatbread - M&S Food Marks & Spencer 7 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Spelt Sourdough Bread Waitrose 8 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1

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 (with added Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Flour 31%, Water, Yellow Linseed 2.8%, Yeast, Wheat Protein, Salt (processing marker), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (e471 (ultra-processing marker)), e472 (e), Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (e300), Vitamin D Yeast, Wheat Flour, Wheat Starch (processing marker)

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472 Acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour [with added Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin*] (31%), Wholemeal Wheat Flour (31%), Water, Yellow Linseed Flour (2.8%), Yeast, Wheat Protein, Salt, Emulsifiers [E471, E472(e)], Fermented Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (E300), Vitamin D Yeast, Wheat Flour, Wheat Starch.

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.

E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.

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.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 2,388 breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1388th. 71% of the 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 2,388 breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5056142401736, last edited 27 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 A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.