Popcorn Shrimp Special
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
22
0 we grade moderate or higher
15 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
9.90g
Medium
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 (22)
This label lists 5 acidity regulators, 4 thickeners and gelling agents, 3 colours, 3 flavour enhancers, 3 preservatives, 1 antioxidant, 1 carrier, 1 emulsifier and 1 additive.
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
E211
Sodium benzoate
Preservative
What it is. A preservative that stops yeasts, moulds and some bacteria growing in acidic foods.
Why it is used. Used in soft drinks, sauces, pickles and dressings.
What the evidence says. EFSA re-evaluated it in 2016 and kept an acceptable daily intake, with normal exposure below it. The known issue is specific: in acidic drinks that also contain vitamin C, benzoate can form small amounts of benzene, so manufacturers reformulated to avoid the combination. It was also present in the drink mixes used in the Southampton hyperactivity study, though the warning requirement that followed applies to the colours rather than to benzoate.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E211
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
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
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
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
E621
Monosodium glutamate
Flavour enhancer
What it is. The sodium salt of glutamate, an amino acid found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms.
Why it is used. Boosts savoury, umami flavour in stocks, crisps, ready meals and sauces.
What the evidence says. The old idea of MSG causing headaches and flushing, once called Chinese restaurant syndrome, has not held up in controlled trials. Regulators worldwide treat it as safe at normal intake. A genuinely useful example of a feared additive that the evidence exonerates.
Permitted and classed as safe. Adds to total sodium, so it counts towards salt if a product uses a lot.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA, US FDA. Full entry for E621
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E1420 Acetylated starch thickener
- E150D Sulphite ammonia caramel colour
- E1510 Ethanol carrier
- E160B Annatto, bixin, norbixin colour
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E224 Potassium metabisulphite preservative
- E260 Acetic acid acidity regulator
- E270 Lactic acid acidity regulator
- E401 Sodium alginate thickener
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E422 Glycerol other
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
- E452 Polyphosphates acidity regulator
- E627 Disodium guanylate flavour enhancer
- E631 Disodium inosinate flavour enhancer
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
Vinegared sushi rice [white rice, sushi vinegar [alcohol vinegar, sugar, salt, kelp extract], lemon juice, sunflower oil, salt], salmon (salmo salar) (fish) [raised in Norway, raised in Scotland], avocado, prawn tempura 8% [prawn (Litopenaeus vannamei) (crustaceans), stabiliser: E451(i). emulsifier: E452, salt, soy sauce (soybean salt, white rice, sugar, glucose syrup, rice wine, flavour enhancers: E621, E631, E627, colour: E150d (sulphites). preservatives: E202, E211), water. ginger, garlic, predust (thickener: E1420, salt, wheat flour, vegetable fat, palm oil, coconut oil, emulsifier: E471), batter mix (water. wheat flour, modified starch, salt, palm oil, thickener: E412, flavour enhancer: E621, baking powder, coconut oil, vegetable oil (perilla), spices (black pepper, red pepper powder, humectant: E422, preservative: E270)). breadcrumbs (wheat flour, palm oil, sugar, yeast, salt, colour: E160b (ethanol, stabiliser: E415), antioxidant: E300, emulsifier: E471), soybean oil], cucumber, pickled carrot [carrot, sushi vinegar], white sesame seed, sushi sauce [pomace brandy, modified corn starch, cane molasses, aromatic caramel (glucose syrup, sucrose), yeast extract, salt, water, glucose-fructose syrup, stabilisers: E415, E401, soy sauce (soybean water, alcohol vinegar, salt), sugar], mayonnaise [rapeseed oil, agg yolk, rice vinegar, lemon juice (preservative: E224 (sulphites)), sugar, salt, mustard stabiliser: E415, garlic powder, tamari sauce (soybean)], nori seaweed, sriracha [chilli pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper extract, alcohol vinegar, water, paprika, preservatives: E260, E202, salt, stabilisers: E415, E412, colour: E160c, acidity regulator: E330, sugar, flavour enhancer: E621, garlic (garlic, acidity regulator: F330)], chives
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.