Cooked Ham Trimmings
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
11
2 we grade moderate or higher
8 of them not yet assessed here
Salt per 100g
2.18g
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 (11)
This label lists 3 preservatives, 2 acidity regulators, 2 antioxidants, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 colour and 1 raising agent.
E250
Sodium nitrite
Preservative and colour fixer, cured meats
What it is. A curing salt that keeps cured and processed meats pink and stops the growth of the bacteria behind botulism.
Why it is used. Used in bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs for preservation, safety and colour.
What the evidence says. The concern is not the additive in isolation but processed meat as a whole, which the WHO's cancer agency IARC classes as Group 1, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes colorectal cancer. Nitrite can form nitrosamines during curing and cooking, and those are the likely culprit. Risk rises with how much processed meat you eat over time.
Permitted with strict maximum levels. The EU cut the allowed limits further from 2023 to reduce nitrosamine formation.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E250
E251
Sodium nitrate
Preservative, cured meats and some cheeses
What it is. A curing agent that slowly converts to nitrite in the product, giving a longer acting preservative effect.
Why it is used. Used in dry cured meats and a few traditional cheeses.
What the evidence says. Sits under the same processed meat evidence as nitrite, since it ends up as nitrite in the food. Same practical takeaway: the issue is regular processed meat intake, not a trace in one meal.
Permitted with maximum levels, tightened in the EU alongside nitrite.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E251
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
- E1400 Dextrin thickener
- E170 Calcium carbonate colour
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E428 Gelatine thickener
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
- E452 Polyphosphates 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
80% Pork, Water, Salt, Dextrose, Stabilisers: Triphosphates, Diphosphates, Polyphosphates, Processed Euchema Seaweed; Sugar, Pork Protein, Honey, Crumb (Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Paprika, Salt, Yeast), Maize Starch, Maltodextrin, Preservatives: Sodium Nitrite, Sodium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate, Buffered Vinegar Powder; Tapioca Starch, Dried Glucose Syrup, Potato Starch, Natural Flavouring, Antioxidants: Sodium Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid; Yeast Extract, Tapioca Dextrin, Pork Gelatine
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.