Is Gallaghers Bakehouse Sourdough Wholemeal ultra-processed?

720 g Wholemeal sliced breads Sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Fiber
E129 Allura red

23 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed wholemeal sliced 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 (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Water, Wheat Flour, Sour Dough 5% (Wheat Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt), Vegetable Oil, Yeast, Vinegar, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Fibre (ultra-processing marker), Wheat Bran, Salt, Psyllium Husk (ultra-processing marker), Natural Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Ascorbic Acid

Additives: E129 Allura red , E300 Ascorbic acid

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E129 Allura red.

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Water, Wholemeal Wheat Flour (129%), Sour Dough (5%) (Wheat Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt), Vegetable Oil, Yeast, Vinegar, Fermented Wheat Flour, Vegetable Fibre, Wheat Bran, Salt, Psyllium Husk Powder, Natural Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.

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.

E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

Fiber An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 38 wholemeal sliced breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 28th. 89% of the wholemeal sliced 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 38 wholemeal sliced breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5391526416044, last edited 24 September 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.