Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's So organic Wholemeal loaf ultra-processed?

400 g Wholemeal breads Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's So organic Wholemeal loaf

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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score D

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, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Edible Label (Potato Starch, Water, Olive Oil, Maltodextrin, Colour (Iron Oxide))

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid

As written on the pack

Wholemeal Wheat Flour*, Water, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin)*, Wheat Gluten*, Yeast, Salt, Sunflower Oil*, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid; Edible Label (Potato Starch, Water, Olive Oil, Maltodextrin, Colour: Iron Oxide).

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.

  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 102 wholemeal breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 59th. 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 01128833, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.