Is Hovis thick Bread ultra-processed?

800g Wholemeal sliced 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:

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

20 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score A

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

Flour (Wheat), Water, Wheat Protein, Yeast, Salt (processing marker), Soya Flour, Preservative (processing marker) (e282), Caramelised Sugar (processing marker), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (e472e (ultra-processing marker)), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), This product contains 62% flour

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 Flour (Wheat), Water, Wheat Protein, Yeast, Salt, Soya Flour, Preservative: E282, Caramelised Sugar, Emulsifier: E472e, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin). This product contains 62% wholegrains from wholemeal flour.

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.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.

3 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 38 wholemeal sliced breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 24th. 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 5010003000353, last edited 16 April 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.