All Butter Chocolate Twists
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
3
0 we grade moderate or higher
Counted from the label, not by quantity
Fat per 100g
17.68g
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 1 antioxidant, 1 colour and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
E415
Xanthan gum
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.
Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.
What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415
Ingredients
Wheatflour (contains Gluten) Crème Pâtissière (24%) (Water Sugar Modified Potato Starch Dried Whey (Milk) - Dried Whole Milk. Maltodextrin Thickener: Xanthan Gum - Spent Vanilla Seeds Beta-carotene · Flavouring). Butter (Milk) (16%) Water Chocolate Chips (9%) (Sugar Cocoa Mass Cocoa Butter. Dextrose - Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin) Sugar. Yeast Dried Wheat Gluten Dried Whole Milk. Pasteurised Egg Salt Dried Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten) Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.
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.