Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat English Muffin ultra-processed?

6 muffins English muffins Sold in the United States

Pack of Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat English Muffin

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed english muffins

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

whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, farina, yeast, salt, calcium propionate, sorbic acid, sugar, grain vinegar, sodium stearoyl lactylate, natural butter flavor, mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, sucralose, soy lecithin, soy, whey

Additives: E200 Sorbic acid , E282 Calcium propionate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, farina, yeast, salt, calcium propionate and sorbic acid, sugar, grain vinegar, sodium stearoyl lactylate, natural butter flavor, mono - and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono - and diglycerides, sucralose, soy lecithin, soy, whey,

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.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
  • 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.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 31 english muffins

From least to most processed, this one ranks 31st. 90% of the english muffins 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 31 english muffins, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0048121184070, last edited 4 October 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.