Is Rowan Hill Bakery Medium Soft Wholemeal ultra-processed?

Wholemeal breads Sold in the United Kingdom

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
E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

28 ingredients
4 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

Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Protein, Yeast, Soya Flour, Salt (processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate (ultra-processing marker), Preservative (processing marker) (Calcium Propionate), Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Caramelised Sugar (processing marker), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), including Cereals containing Gluten, Lidl Great Britain Ltd, Lidl House, 14 Kingston Road, Surbiton, kt5 9nu, 800

Additives: E282 Calcium propionate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

As written on the pack

Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Protein, Yeast, Soya Flour, Salt, Sugar, Emulsifiers: Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate; Preservative: Calcium Propionate; Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Caramelised Sugar, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid. Allergy Advice For allergens, including Cereals containing Gluten, see ingredients in bold. Lidl Great Britain Ltd, Lidl House, 14 Kingston Road, Surbiton, KT5 9NU. 800

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.
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.

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 102 wholemeal breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 72nd. 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 4056489648710, last edited 21 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 A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.