Bread is one of the hardest categories to navigate if you’re avoiding ultra processed foods (UPF).
Many loaves look traditional — but contain emulsifiers, gums, vegetable fibres, preservatives or “clean label” ingredients designed to extend shelf life. This guide lists UPF free bread options available in UK supermarkets, explains how we decide what qualifies, and highlights borderline products to watch out for.
This page is a dedicated to upf free bread options in local supermarkets.
How We Define “Non UPF Bread”
For this page, non UPF bread means:
Made from simple ingredients
- A short, bakery-style ingredient list
- Typically: flour + water + salt
- Sometimes natural sourdough starter or yeast
No industrial additives
- Emulsifiers (e.g. mono- & diglycerides)
- Gums (e.g. guar gum, xantham gum)
- Added vegetable fibres
- Preservatives
- Flavourings
If it contains ingredients designed primarily for shelf life, texture engineering or industrial scalability, it doesn’t make this list.
Important: “Fresh” / Unwrapped Bread
Many in-store bakery loaves are sold unwrapped.In the UK, these can be exempt from full ingredient labelling (allergens must still be provided). That means a loaf can appear simple, but you may not be able to verify the full ingredient list unless the supermarket provides it on request.
Fermented Wheat Flour (What To Know)
Some modern supermarket breads use ingredients such as fermented wheat flour. These products are often designed to avoid traditional additives like emulsifiers and preservatives, while still achieving a soft texture and longer shelf life.
A well-known example is Jason’s Sourdough. Supermarket own-brand versions now appear to follow a similar approach — for example, Morrisons “The Best White Sourdough” includes fermented wheat flour.
How These Are Classified
Under a strict NOVA interpretation, these products are not clearly ultra-processed, as they do not rely on the typical additives found in industrial bread.
However, they also differ from traditional bread made from just flour, water, salt and starter. Fermented wheat flour generates propionic acid, which has a preservative function — so for some people this alone is enough to consider it ultra-processed.
Transparency & Interpretation
While these breads may technically avoid UPF classification (via NOVA — which is what this site focuses on), they raise questions around transparency.
Ingredients like fermented wheat flour can perform a similar function to additives — helping to improve texture and shelf life — but may be perceived differently by consumers.
For that reason:
- Some consider these breads a reasonable alternative to standard supermarket loaves
- Others consider them UPF and prefer to avoid them in favour of fully traditional bread
👉 You can read a full breakdown here: Is Jason’s sourdough UPF?
Some of these products are included elsewhere on this page, but we’ve clearly highlighted where they contain ingredients such as fermented wheat flour, so you can decide how they fit your own approach.
Non UPF Bread Brands
These are products where the ingredient list is publicly available and genuinely minimal.
Bertinet Bakery
Offers traditional sourdough and additive-free loaves in selected ranges.
Example loaves:
Why it’s included:
Bertinet Bakery loaves typically contain traditional sourdough ingredients such as:
- Wheat flour
- Water
- Salt
- Natural starter
Available at
Modern Baker
Offers traditionally fermented sourdough loaves made with minimal ingredients.
Example loaves:
Why it’s included:
Modern Baker sourdough loaves typically contain traditional ingredients such as:
- Spelt flour
- Rye flour
- Water
- Salt
Available at
The Celtic Bakers
Produces artisan-style sourdough loaves with simple ingredient lists and traditional fermentation methods.
Example loaves:
Why it’s included:
Celtic Bakers loaves typically contain traditional sourdough ingredients such as:
- Wheat flour
- Water
- Salt
- Natural starter
No emulsifiers. No preservatives. No processing aids listed.
Available at
Non UPF Bread Supermarket Brand Options A to Z
Tap your supermarket to view bread options, ingredients and notes.
Aldi
Bread
Ingredient lists are often not fully available online — ask in store if unsure.
Asda
Bread
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Fortified), Water, Rye Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Rice Flour, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Fortified), Water, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Malted Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil
Flatbreads
Ingredients: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Ingredients: Durum Wheat Semolina, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Widely available brands stocked at Asda
Co-op
Bread
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Water, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Marks & Spencer
Bread
Ingredients: Wholegrain Ground Rye · Water · Salt · Yeast
Ingredients: Wheatflour · Water · Salt · Malted Wheatflour · Fermented Wheatflour · Vitamin D Yeast
Ingredients: Wheatflour · Water · Sunflower Seeds (7%) · Spelt (Wheat) (7%) · Salt · Malted Wheatflour · Fermented Wheatflour · Vitamin D Yeast
Rolls
Ingredients: Wheatflour · Water · Rye Flour · Wheat Gluten · Yeast · Salt · Dried Fermented Wheatflour · Wholemeal Wheatflour · Durum Wheat Semolina
Morrisons
Bread
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Rye Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Mixed Seeds (11%) (Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seed, Brown Linseed, Golden Linseed), Rye Flour, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Malted Wheat Flakes, Malted Barley Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Malted Barley Extract, Yeast Extract, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Rolls & buns
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Yeast, Rye Flour, Fermented Wheat Flour, Salt, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid
Widely available brands stocked at Morrisons
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Mixed Seeds (Golden Linseeds, Sunflower Seeds) (6%), Sprouted Whole Spelt (Wheat) (2.5%), Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Ingredients: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Gluten, Fermented Wheat Flour, Salt
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Wholemeal Spelt Flour, Sprouted Whole Spelt Grains (8%), Rye Flour, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Sainsbury’s
Bread
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Rye Flour, Salt, Rice Flour, Rapeseed Oil
Flatbreads & wraps
Ingredients: Wholemeal Wheat Flour (35%), Wheat Flour, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (8%), Salt
Ingredients: Italian Reground Durum Wheat Semolina (67%), Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (8%), Salt
Widely available brands stocked at Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Bread
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Rye Flour, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Barley Malt Flour, Barley Malt Extract
Flatbreads
Ingredients: Durum Wheat Semolina, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Ingredients: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Widely available brands stocked at Tesco
Waitrose
Waitrose own-brand bread
Ingredients: Spelt (wheat) flour, water, wholemeal spelt (wheat) flour, salt
Ingredients: ’00’ wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, dark (rye flour), wholemeal wheat flour, medium (rye flour), salt
Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, rye flour, wholemeal rye flour, salt, wholemeal wheat flour
Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, sunflower seeds (3%), pumpkin seeds (3%), linseed (3%), rye flour, wholemeal rye flour, oats, salt, fermented wheat flour, wholemeal wheat flour, malted barley flour, malted barley
Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, folic acid, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, rye flour, wholemeal rye flour, khorasan (wheat), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seed, brown linseed, salt, rye grains, quinoa seeds, millet, oatmeal, malted barley, fermented wheat flour
Other brands available at Waitrose
Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine, Folic Acid), Water, Wholemeal Rye Flour, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Barley Flour, Salt, Wholemeal Spelt Flour (Wheat)
Ingredients: Water, wheat flour, wholemeal wheat flour, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, brown linseed, rye flour, wholemeal rye flour, oats, salt, barley flour, barley malt flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Wholemeal Rye Flour, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Barley Flour, Salt, Wholemeal Spelt Flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Rye Flour, Salt, Wholemeal Spelt Flour, Wholemeal Wheat Flour
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Ground Rice, Salt
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Mixed Seeds, Salt, Wheat Flour, Cornflour
Flatbreads
Ingredients: Italian Reground Durum Wheat Semolina, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Ingredients: Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt
Widely available brands
Have a suggestion for a upf free bread option? Or simply want to point out we are incorrect about a product? Let us know in the comments below or if you prefer email us. We appreciate all feedback as we want to create a factual list.
Hi, can I confirm that you have checked that these are the full ingredients of the unwrapped breads you list? I know that legally unwrapped “fresh” this don’t have to list every ingredient.. but I’m not sure of the specifics of that law.
Thanks.
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for your message!
Yes, we’ve checked the ingredients of the unwrapped breads listed. However, as you rightly mentioned, unwrapped “fresh” products aren’t always required to list full ingredients in the same way as packaged goods — which can make things tricky.
Because product formulations can change frequently (a real challenge when trying to avoid UPFs), we recommend double-checking ingredients in store where possible. We aim to review the list monthly, though this can sometimes take longer depending on other priorities.
If you ever spot something that’s changed or think we’ve missed something, we’d really appreciate a heads-up too!
Best wishes,
Marie
Marks and Spencer have now started doing non ultra processed breads in their new, more transparent range. There is 2 loaves and white rolls that are all very good.
Brilliant, thank you! Always good to have more non-UPF options, will add to the post. 👏
The rolls are delicious 😋
Thank you for this useful information.
Yes this is very useful! 🙂
The problem with any white (even non upf) bread is that you’re going to get refined carbohydrates which are just as bad as upf foods. I have just found a soft wholemeal sourdough from Warburtons which seems to hit every marker (even scores 100/100 on the Yuka app). It’s only in Asda for the moment as far as I can tell
Crosta & Mollica brand at Waitrose is also a great option for bread and wraps etc
The Jason’s sourdoughs contain fermented wheat flour.They are not UPF free. Fermented wheat flour is propionic acid which is a preservative but does not require an E number. This is the way a lot of companies are greenwashing their bread ingredients. The Real Bread campaign has highlighted this. Jasons has refused to confirm or deny. Real bread should not have emulsifiers or preservatives, just water, flour, salt, maybe some seeds or nuts.
Thanks so much for your comment — really appreciate you raising this. You’re absolutely right that there has been ongoing discussion around fermented wheat flour and whether it’s being used as a workaround preservative. The Real Bread Campaign has highlighted concerns about this and Jason’s has so far not provided full clarity on how theirs is produced.
I’m currently in the process of updating the bread article. I’ll also be adding a note about Jason’s specifically, so readers have the full context before choosing.
My goal with the list is always to reflect the strict definition of non UPF (no emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourings, vegetable fat blends, gums, etc.) and to update things quickly when new information or better transparency becomes available (however this has taken longer than anticipated with this one!). Thanks again for flagging it — it genuinely helps keep the list accurate for everyone.