Is Brennans Bakehouse Multiseed ultra-processed?

500g Wheat breads Sold in Ireland

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
Gluten
E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

33 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed wheat 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

flour, wheat flour (wheat, calcium carbonate, iron, thiamin, niacin), rye flour 1.5%, water, sunflower seeds 5%, pinhead oatmeal 2.5%, yeast, salt (processing marker), linseeds 1.5%, pumpkin seeds 1.5%, oats, wheat gluten (ultra-processing marker), wheat bran, wheat sourdough, sugar (processing marker), caramelised sugar (processing marker), emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (e481 (ultra-processing marker)), eat20, ea71, vegetable oil (processing marker) (rapeseed vegetable oil, palm vegetable oil), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid), soya flour, preservative (processing marker) (calcium propionate)

Additives: E282 Calcium propionate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

As written on the pack

FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, IRON, THIAMIN, NIACIN), RYE FLOUR (1.5%)], WATER, SUNFLOWER SEEDS (5%), PINHEAD OATMEAL (2.5%), YEAST, SALT, LINSEEDS (1.5%), PUMPKIN SEEDS (1.5%), OATS, WHEAT GLUTEN, WHEAT BRAN, WHEAT SOURDOUGH, SUGAR, CARAMELISED SUGAR, EMULSIFIERS: E481, EAT20, EA71; VEGETABLE OIL (RAPESEED, PALM (SUSTAINABLE)], FLOUR TREATMENT AGENT: ASCORBIC ACID; SOYA FLOUR, PRESERVATIVE: CALCIUM PROPIONATE

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.

E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate 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.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.

4 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.

Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 228 wheat breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 70th. 92% of the wheat 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 228 wheat breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5011059002148, last edited 29 May 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 C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.