extend bcaa
Unknown brand
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
7
1 we grade moderate or higher
3 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 (7)
This label lists 2 acidity regulators, 2 colours, 2 sweeteners and 1 additive.
E129
Allura Red AC
Red colour
What it is. A synthetic red dye, sometimes labelled Red 40 in the US.
Why it is used. Colours sweets, drinks, cereals and baked goods.
What the evidence says. Another Southampton Six colour. Beyond the hyperactivity signal, some newer animal research on gut inflammation has renewed interest, though that is early and not settled in humans.
Children's activity warning in the UK and EU. In the US it remains permitted, though several states have moved to restrict synthetic dyes in school food.
Assessed against UK FSA, EFSA, US FDA. Full entry for E129
E955
Sucralose
Artificial sweetener
What it is. An intense sweetener made from sugar, around 600 times sweeter, so it is used in very small amounts.
Why it is used. Sweetens diet drinks, tabletop sweeteners, dairy and baked goods.
What the evidence says. Regulators have treated it as safe for decades and the acceptable daily intake has not changed. Newer laboratory work on a breakdown product, and the general question of sweeteners and the gut microbiome, keep it under discussion, but that work is early and has not moved any official position.
Permitted with an acceptable daily intake in all three regions.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E955
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
E330
Citric acid
Acidity regulator
What it is. A mild acid found naturally in citrus fruit, made commercially by fermentation.
Why it is used. Adds tartness, balances flavour and helps preserve. One of the most used additives in food.
What the evidence says. Safe at food levels. No credible health concern for the additive itself.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E330
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E1200 Polydextrose other
- E296 Malic acid acidity regulator
- E960 Steviol glycosides sweetener
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
l-leucine, l-glutamine, l-isolecuine, l-valine, acidity regulators salts of citric acid, potassium chloride, bulking agent (polydextrose), sodium (malic acid and citric acid), flavourings, sodium citrate, l-citrulline, magnesium chloride, sweeteners (sucralose and steviol glycosides), colours (allura red ac and beta-carotene), vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), suggested use: mix each serving (using scoop provided in container) with at least 60 ml of water and adjust for taste preference, shake well and consume up to wo scoops per day, do not exceed a small unit quantity or the recommended daily wings food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, diet and healthy lifestyle, used in the uk by: distribution distributed in the eu by: nutra
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.