Is Sara Lee Bread ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Flavouring
- Gluten
- E322 Lecithins
- E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 31 ingredients
- 9 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Less processed breads
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
enriched wheat flour (flour, malted barley flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin, folic acid), water, sugar (processing marker), yeast, wheat gluten (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), butter (processing marker), preservatives (processing marker) (calcium propionate, sorbic acid), monoglycerides, cellulose gum (ultra-processing marker), natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), datem (ultra-processing marker), monocalcium phosphate, corn flour, calcium sulfate, citric acid, grain vinegar, annatto, turmeric, potassium iodate
Additives: E200 Sorbic acid , E282 Calcium propionate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
enriched wheat flour [flour, malted barley flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin (vitamin b2), folic acid], water, sugar, yeast, wheat gluten, salt, butter**, preservatives (calcium propionate, sorbic acid), monoglycerides, cellulose gum, natural flavors, soy lecithin, datem, monocalcium phosphate, corn flour, calcium sulfate, citric acid, grain vinegar, annatto and turmeric, potassium iodate,
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.
- E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
- E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
- 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.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
4 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.
- Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
- Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Among 2,388 breads
From least to most processed, this one ranks 2111th. 71% of the breads here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0072945611900, last edited 18 April 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.