Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Lewis Whole Wheat Bread ultra-processed?

Wheat breads Sold in the United States

Pack of Lewis Whole Wheat Bread

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 24 ingredients
  • 12 additives

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

Whole wheat flour, water, sugar, yeast, wheat gluten, contains 2% and less of the following (soybean oil), salt, honey, dough conditioner (mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), calcium propionate (to retain freshness), yeast nutrients (monocalcium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate, ascorbic acid), fumaric acid, sorbic acid, hydrogenated vegetable oil, soy lecithin

Additives: E200 Sorbic acid , E282 Calcium propionate , E297 Fumaric acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate , E516 Calcium sulphate , E517 Ammonium sulphate

As written on the pack

Whole wheat flour, water, sugar, yeast, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of the following: soybean oil, salt, honey, dough conditioner (mono & diglycerides, ethoxylated mono & diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), calcium propionate (to retain freshness), yeast nutrients (monocalcium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate, ascorbic acid), fumaric acid, sorbic acid, hydrogenated vegetable oil, soy lecithin.

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.

  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.

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.
  • Hydrogenated oil Hydrogenation turns liquid oil into a solid fat that resists going rancid.
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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • 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 179th. 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 0024126017162, last edited 31 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.