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.
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
White Sourdough Sliced Loaf
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Tesco
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Waitrose
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Sainsbury’s
Taste the Difference Sourdough
Best for: Sandwiches and toast
This is a nice all rounder white sourdough from Sainsbury’s.
Ingredients: Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Rye Flour, Salt, Rice Flour, Rapeseed Oil.
Other options in this range:
San Francisco
M&S
Only 5 Ingredients Bread Rolls
M&S has a new range called “only.. ingredients” which includes these bread rolls.
Ingredients: Wheatflour*, Water, Wildfarmed Wheatflour* (11%), Rye Flour, Dried Fermented Wheatflour, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Wholemeal Wheatflour, Wheatflakes, *Fortified with Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B3 and B1
Tesco
Sourdough Bloomer
Best for: Sandwiches and toast
A nice all round option.
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Water, Salt, Malted Barley Flour.
Other options in this range:
Seeded Bloomer
Waitrose
No. 1 Sourdough
Best for: Sandwiches
Another great option for sandwiches and good toasted too.
Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, rye flour, wholemeal rye flour, salt, wholemeal wheat flour
Other options in this range:
Wheat & Rye
Dark Rye & Wheat
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.