Mille Feuille Slice
Patisserie Valerie
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
14
1 we grade moderate or higher
9 of them not yet assessed here
Nutrients
–
Nothing above the low band
Or no figures recorded at all
Three separate readings, kept apart on purpose. This is not a score, and none of it says this product is harmful.
Additives (14)
This label lists 5 colours, 2 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 additive and 1 preservative.
E171
Titanium dioxide
Whitener and opacifier
What it is. A bright white pigment used to make sweets, icing, sauces and coatings look opaque and white.
Why it is used. Purely cosmetic. It changes appearance, not taste or safety of the food.
What the evidence says. In 2021 the EU food safety body EFSA concluded it could no longer be considered safe as a food additive, mainly because possible genetic damage from the tiny particles could not be ruled out. That is a precautionary call rather than proof of harm in people.
Banned as a food additive in the EU since 2022. Still permitted in the UK and the US, which reached different conclusions on the same evidence. A clear case of the same additive, different rules.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA, US FDA. Full entry for E171
E220
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
Preservative
What it is. A preservative that stops browning and microbial growth.
Why it is used. Used in dried fruit, wine, some soft drinks and processed potato.
What the evidence says. Not a cancer concern, but a well established trigger for asthma symptoms and sensitivity in some people, which is why it is a declarable allergen. Clear, strong evidence, but the concern applies to a specific group rather than everyone.
Permitted, but must be declared on the label when above a small threshold because of the allergy risk.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E220
E471
Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
Emulsifier
What it is. Fat derived emulsifiers, closely related to ordinary dietary fats.
Why it is used. One of the most used additives in food: bread, margarine, ice cream, cakes and sauces.
What the evidence says. The body handles these much as it handles other fats, and EFSA's re-evaluation raised no safety concern at the levels used. They sit in the same broad emulsifier and gut microbiome research question as the others, which remains unsettled.
Permitted without a numerical limit. The fat source is not always stated, which matters for some diets rather than for safety.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E471
E100
Curcumin
Yellow colour
What it is. The yellow pigment from turmeric root.
Why it is used. Colours mustards, sauces, dairy, confectionery and savoury snacks.
What the evidence says. A plant pigment people have eaten as a spice for a very long time, and regulators treat it as safe with an acceptable daily intake. EFSA noted that children who eat a lot of the foods it is used in could approach that intake, which is a reason to watch total use rather than a sign of harm.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E100
E160A
Carotenes
Yellow to orange colour
What it is. The orange pigments found in carrots and other vegetables, either extracted or made synthetically.
Why it is used. Colours margarine, soft drinks, dairy, and sweets.
What the evidence says. The same compound the body turns into vitamin A, and safe at the levels used in food. High dose beta-carotene supplements have been linked to harm in smokers, but those doses are far above anything a colour in food delivers, and conflating the two is a common mistake.
Permitted. The supplement findings apply to concentrated doses, not to food colouring.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E160A
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E101 Riboflavin colour
- E160B Annatto, bixin, norbixin colour
- E339 Sodium phosphates acidity regulator
- E400 Alginic acid thickener
- E401 Sodium alginate thickener
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E516 Calcium sulphate other
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
Custard Cream Mix (65%) (Custard Cream Powder (Sugar (SULPHUR DIOXIDE), Modified Starch, Skimmed MILK Powder, Lactose (MILK), MILK Proteins, Vegetable Fat (Coconut Oil), Gelling Agents (E339, E450, E516, E401), Flavouring (MILK), Flavouring, Colour (E160aii), Water), 100% Whipped Cream (Cow’s MILK, Stabilisers (E450(iii), (E400), (E500(ii)) (E401)), Sugar, Maize Starch), Deli Paste Millefoglie (Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Water, EGG Yolk, Sweetened Condensed MILK (MILK, Sugar), Flavourings, Colours (E101, E160a))), Puff Pastry with Butter (MILK) (22%) (French Type 45 White Flour (WHEAT), Margarine (Vegetable Oil, Water, Salt, Emulsifier (E475), Flavourings, Colours (E160b, E100)), Salted Cream ((MILK) Butter (Cream (MILK), Salt)), Sugar, Salt)) Fondant Icing (10%) (Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Water, Emulsifier (E471), Colour (E171)), Dark Chocolate (3%) (Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter,
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.