Garden pea and ham soup
Unknown brand
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
3
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
6.90g
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 (3)
This label lists 2 preservatives and 1 antioxidant.
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
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
Water, 28.8% Peas, 6% Smoked Ham (87% Pork, Water, Salt, Preservative: Potassium Nitrate; Sodium Nitrate; Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate), 6% Split Peas, Onions, Ham Stock Mix (Ham Stock [Water, Ham (Pork, Salt), Pork Fat], Flavourings, Yeast Extracts, Sugar, Smoked Dextrose), Modified Maize Starch, Potatoes, Garlic Puree, Salt, Mint, Parsley.
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.