Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Fast Action Dried Yeast 8 Sachets ultra-processed?

56g Yeast Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Fast Action Dried Yeast 8 Sachets

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 6 additives

Less processed yeast

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

Yeast 94%, Stabiliser (Calcium Sulphate), Emulsifier (Sorbitan Monostearate), Flour Treatment Agents (Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Amylase), Salt, Wheat Flour, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Starch

Additives: E1100 Alpha-Amylase , E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E491 Sorbitan monostearate , E516 Calcium sulphate

As written on the pack

Yeast (94%), Stabiliser (Calcium Sulphate), Emulsifier (Sorbitan Monostearate), Flour Treatment Agents (Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Amylase), Salt, Wheat Flour, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Starch.

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.
  • E491 Sorbitan monostearate 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.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 20 yeast

From least to most processed, this one ranks 20th. 80% of the yeast 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 20 yeast, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00179768, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.