6 Thick Cut Back Bacon Rashers
Processing
–
Not recorded
A gap in the source, not a sign it is unprocessed
Additives listed
3
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Salt per 100g
2.31g
High
UK FSA front of pack threshold
Three separate readings, kept apart on purpose. This is not a score, and none of it says this product is harmful.
Additives (3)
This label lists 2 preservatives and 1 antioxidant.
E250
Sodium nitrite
Preservative and colour fixer, cured meats
What it is. A curing salt that keeps cured and processed meats pink and stops the growth of the bacteria behind botulism.
Why it is used. Used in bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs for preservation, safety and colour.
What the evidence says. The concern is not the additive in isolation but processed meat as a whole, which the WHO's cancer agency IARC classes as Group 1, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes colorectal cancer. Nitrite can form nitrosamines during curing and cooking, and those are the likely culprit. Risk rises with how much processed meat you eat over time.
Permitted with strict maximum levels. The EU cut the allowed limits further from 2023 to reduce nitrosamine formation.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E250
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
Names and jobs come from the register of additives permitted in Great Britain, which we have not finished transcribing: a code shown without a name is a gap in our coverage, not a finding that it is unapproved. Naming one is not grading it either. Full detail appears only where we have an assessment against a named authority, so all of this describes our coverage rather than these additives. Most are common and low concern.
Ingredients
Pork (87%), Water, Salt, Preservatives: Sodium Nitrite, Potassium Nitrate; Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate. Safety: This product is not suitable for rare cooking. Do not undercook raw meat. Keep raw meat separate from cooked foods. Use separate kitchen utensils and surfaces for raw meat and cooked foods or wash them thoroughly between use. Wash hands after handling raw meat. Raw meat may contain organisms hazardous to health. Cook roughly until piping hot throughout and the juices run clear. If not fully cooked in accordance with the instructions harmful bacteria may remain. Packed in the UK for Sainsbury's Supmarked London, EC1N 2HT using pork from the Netherlands. Not for EU. Careline 0800 636262 www.sainsburys.co.uk Packaged in a protective atmosphere. TRAY Recycle FILM Do not Recycle 7640075 K0174 05.24 <"0011 8248
As printed on the pack, in the producer's own order: ingredients are listed by weight, so what comes first is most of what is in it. E numbers link to their assessment where we have one.