Better Supermarket Bread
Best Non-UPF Bread in UK Supermarkets
A practical guide to finding supermarket breads with simpler ingredients, fewer additives and no clear NOVA ultra-processed markers.
What we look for
Flour, water, salt, yeast or sourdough starter.
What we avoid
Emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourings, gums and added fibres.
Always check
Ingredients change, so check the packet before buying.
Why bread is one of the hardest supermarket categories to navigate
Many loaves look traditional, but contain emulsifiers, gums, added fibres, preservatives, flavourings or modern “clean label” ingredients designed to improve softness and shelf life.
This page brings together our UK bread audits so you can compare which breads are not ultra-processed, which are ultra-processed, and which sit in a more nuanced middle ground.
Browse non-UPF bread by supermarket
Browse non-UPF bread options available across major UK supermarkets.
Our strongest picks with short, recognisable ingredient lists.
Still not ultra-processed under NOVA, but use ingredients or manufacturing methods that some readers prefer to avoid. These products often rely on modern formulations designed to improve shelf life, softness or consistency.
Aldi
Asda
- Specially Selected Sourdough Loaf
M&S
Morrison’s
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Waitrose
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. Where possible, this page focuses on breads with ingredient information that can be checked and re-checked over time.
Tip: if a bakery loaf is sold loose, ask the supermarket for the full ingredient list, not just allergen information.
Featured non-UPF bread brands
These brands are useful starting points because they often offer shorter ingredient lists, clearer labelling or more traditional-style bread options.
Bertinet Bakery
One of the strongest supermarket options we’ve found for simpler sourdough-style loaves.
Modern Baker
Often not ultra-processed under NOVA, but can be more nuanced depending on the formulation.
The Celtic Bakers
Traditional-style bakery breads with short ingredient lists and clear sourdough positioning.
Fermented wheat flour: what to know
Fermented wheat flour appears in a growing number of supermarket breads, including products such as Jason’s Sourdough and some supermarket own-brand sourdough loaves.
Under a strict NOVA interpretation, breads containing fermented wheat flour are not automatically ultra-processed.
However, some readers prefer to avoid these products because fermented wheat flour is often used to improve shelf life and softness in ways that differ from traditional bread making.
For that reason, we generally place these breads in our 🟠 Also worth knowing category rather than our strongest recommendations.
👉 Read our full breakdown of the Jason’s Sourdough controversy and why opinions differ.
How we choose breads for this page
This page is deliberately stricter than our full Bread Audit Directory.
Every bread listed here is not ultra-processed under NOVA. However, we separate our strongest recommendations from breads that use more modern ingredients or manufacturing approaches.
Recommended breads
Traditional-style breads with short, recognisable ingredient lists.
More nuanced products
Products using ingredients such as fermented wheat flour or other modern formulations designed to improve shelf life or texture.
Full audits available
Every recommendation is based on a product audit, and ingredients can change over time.
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.
Thanks. Do you have any information about breads that use flour with no, or very low, glypophosphate levels ?
Great question — this is something a lot of people are becoming more interested in.
At the moment, No More UPF focuses specifically on how foods are processed (using the NOVA system), rather than farming practices like pesticide use.
Glyphosate levels aren’t something that’s typically disclosed on food labels, so it’s very difficult to assess this consistently across supermarket products.
If this is a priority for you, choosing organic bread or products made from certified flour sources is generally the most reliable route.
I may explore this topic separately in future, as it’s a different (but important) layer beyond processing.