5 Custard Doughnuts
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
12
0 we grade moderate or higher
8 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 (12)
This label lists 4 emulsifiers, 2 acidity regulators, 2 raising agents, 1 antioxidant, 1 colour, 1 additive and 1 preservative.
E202
Potassium sorbate
Preservative
What it is. The potassium salt of sorbic acid, which stops mould and yeast growth.
Why it is used. Used in cheese, baked goods, dried fruit, wine and dressings.
What the evidence says. Widely used and long regarded as one of the gentler preservatives. EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation lowered the acceptable daily intake and noted gaps in the genotoxicity data, asking for more work, while finding no evidence of harm at the levels actually used.
Permitted with maximum levels. EFSA has asked for further data rather than restricted it.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E202
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
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
E300
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Antioxidant
What it is. Vitamin C, added to protect colour and flavour and sometimes to fortify.
Why it is used. Stops browning in juices and cut fruit, protects fats, and boosts vitamin content.
What the evidence says. Beneficial and harmless at the levels used. Included here as a reminder that an E number is just a code, and plenty of them are ordinary nutrients.
Permitted freely, no concern.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E300
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E341 Calcium phosphates raising agent
- E422 Glycerol other
- E435 Polysorbate 60 emulsifier
- E472E Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters (DATEM) emulsifier
- E473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E501 Potassium carbonates acidity regulator
- E575 Glucono-delta-lactone acidity regulator
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
Fortified British wheat flower (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Vania Flavour Custard Style Filling (24%) (Water, Sugar, Modified Maize Starch, Palm Fat, Humectant: Glycerol; Rapeseed Oil, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator: Glucono-delta-lactone; Emulsifiers: Polysorbate 60, Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids; Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate; Colours: Beta-carotene, Carrot Concentrate), Water, Palm Oil, Sugar, Yeast, Rapeseed Oil, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Emulsifiers: Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Raising Agents: Calcium Phosphate, Potassium carbonate, Sodium Carbonate; Salt, Wheat Protein, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid. Allergy advice For allergens, see ingredients in bold.
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.