Is Hovis Wholemeal Bread ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
- 21 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed sliced breads
-
Organic Loaf Slices - Hemp Seeds
Seedful
15 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Sourdough Grains & Seeds
Jason's
15 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Jason's Sourdough
Jason's Sourdough
16 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
The Champion Wholemeal
Allinson's
16 ingredients · 1 additive
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
flour (wheat), water, yeast, caramelised sugar (processing marker), wheat protein, soya flour, salt (processing marker), wheat flour (with added calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), e471 (ultra-processing marker), e472e (ultra-processing marker), e481 (ultra-processing marker), e282, vegetable fat (processing marker) (palm, rapeseed), ascorbic acid
Additives: E282 Calcium propionate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
As written on the pack
wholemeal flour (wheat), water, yeast, caramelised sugar, wheat protein, soya flour, salt, wheat flour (with added calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), emulsifiers : e471, e472e, e481, preservative: e282, vegetable fat (palm, rapeseed), 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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
Among 389 sliced breads
From least to most processed, this one ranks 302nd. 87% of the sliced breads here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010003000247, last edited 5 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.