Is Ploughmans Bakery Sourdough ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Gluten
- E170 Calcium carbonates
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
- 23 ingredients
- 5 additives
Less processed sourdough sliced breads
-
Rustic White Sourdough
Wild Origins
10 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Jason's Sourdough
Jason's Sourdough
16 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Sliced White Sourdough Bread with Protein
Jasons
14 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Protein Sourdough Toasting Loaf
Aldi Specially Selected
27 ingredients · 1 additive
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Wheat Flour, Water, Baker's Yeast, Dried Wheat Sourdough, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Iodised Salt (processing marker), Rye Flour, Canola Oil, Soy Flour, Acidity Regulator (263), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (481, 472e), Rye Acid, Acidity Regulator (330), Salt (processing marker), Mineral (Salt (processing marker) (170)), Vitamin (Folic Acid)
Additives: E170 Calcium carbonates , E263 Calcium acetate , E330 Citric acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
As written on the pack
Wheat Flour, Water, Baker's Yeast, Dried Wheat Sourdough, Wheat Gluten, Iodised Salt, Wholemeal Rye Flour, Canola Oil, Soy Flour, Acidity Regulator (263), Emulsifiers (481, 472e), Rye Acid, Acidity Regulator (330), Salt, Mineral Salt (170), Vitamin (Folic 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.
- E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
- 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.
- 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.
1 ingredient 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.
Among 14 sourdough sliced breads
From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 64% of the sourdough sliced breads here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9415142009230, last edited 7 June 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.