Is Essential Baking Classic Sourdough Artisan Bread ultra-processed?

Breads Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Gluten

11 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed 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

Enriched Wheat Flour, Wheat Sourdough, Wheat Flour, Barley Malt, Sea Salt (processing marker), Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Cultured Wheat Flour Vinegar, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Yeast, Whole Wheat Flour, Enzymes

As written on the pack

Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour, Wheat Sourdough, Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Barley Malt, Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Oil, Cultured Organic Wheat Flour with Organic Vinegar, Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Enzymes

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

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.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 2,388 breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 731st. 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 0813305017273, last edited 21 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.