Is M&S Bakery Wholemeal Farmhouse Loaf ultra-processed?

370g Wholemeal breads Sold in the United Kingdom and Scotland

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

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

26 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed wholemeal 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

Wheatflour, Water, Malted Wheatflakes, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Wheat Bran, Rye Bran, Malted Barley Flour, Salt (processing marker), Vinegar, Palm Oil (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar (processing marker), Soya Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (e472e (ultra-processing marker)), Caramelised Sugar Syrup (processing marker), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Wholemeal Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Water, Malted Wheatflakes (contains Gluten) , Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Wheat Gluten, Wheat Bran (contains Gluten), Rye Bran (contains Gluten), Malted Barley Flour (contains Gluten), Salt, Vinegar, Palm Oil, Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Soya Flour, Rapeseed Oil , Emulsifier: E472e, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, 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.

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.

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.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 102 wholemeal breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 62nd. 85% of the wholemeal 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 102 wholemeal breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00982184, last edited 27 March 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.