Is Trader Joe's Bread ultra-processed?

22 oz Wheat breads Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E150c Ammonia caramel

16 ingredients
1 additive

Less processed wheat breads

100% whole wheat bread United States Bakery 19 ingredients · 2 additives NOVA group 3
Tostitos Cantina Thin & Crispy Tostitos 6 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Knock Your Sprouts Off Reduced Sodium Multigrain Bread Simply Nature 18 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Mighty Wheat Organic Bread One Degree Organic Foods 12 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3

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

bread (processing marker), whole wheat flour, wheat flour, water, multigrain, seed blend, honey (processing marker), rolled oats, brown sugar (processing marker), yeast, salt (processing marker), caramel coloring, canola oil, vinegar, enzymes, ascorbic acid

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

bread flour, whole wheat flour, enriched unbleached wheat flour, water, multigrain and seed blend, honey, rolled oats, brown sugar, yeast, salt, organic caramel coloring, canola oil, vinegar, enzymes, ascorbic acid

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.

E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.

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.

Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Bread An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 228 wheat breads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 92% of the wheat 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 228 wheat breads, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00992510, last edited 6 September 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.