lemon cake slices
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
17
0 we grade moderate or higher
11 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
35.58g
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 (17)
This label lists 5 emulsifiers, 4 acidity regulators, 3 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 colour, 1 additive, 1 preservative, 1 raising agent and 1 sweetener.
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
E420
Sorbitol
Sweetener and humectant
What it is. A sugar alcohol, about half as sweet as sugar, which also holds moisture.
Why it is used. Used in sugar free sweets and gum, and to keep baked goods soft.
What the evidence says. Not a toxicity question at all. Sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed, so a large amount draws water into the gut and has a laxative effect. That is well established, predictable and dose dependent, which is why the label has to say so.
Permitted. Foods with more than 10 per cent polyols must carry the statement that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E420
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
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
E322
Lecithin
Emulsifier
What it is. A natural emulsifier, usually from soya or sunflower.
Why it is used. Keeps chocolate smooth and stops ingredients separating.
What the evidence says. Safe and widely used. Only relevant if the source, such as soya, is an allergen for you.
Permitted freely. Source allergen must be declared.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E322
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
- E332 Potassium citrates acidity regulator
- E333 Calcium citrates acidity regulator
- E401 Sodium alginate thickener
- E406 Agar thickener
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E422 Glycerol other
- E435 Polysorbate 60 emulsifier
- E472C Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides emulsifier
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E575 Glucono-delta-lactone 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
sugar, wheat flour, rapeseed oil, egg, water, glucose-fructose syrup, stabilisers: sorbitols, glycerol, vegetable fats (palm, palm kernel), starch (potato, maize, rice), sweetened condensed skimmed milk (skimmed milk, sugar), acidity regulators: calcium citrates, potassium citrates, citric acid, 0,8% lemon zest, emulsifiers: lecithins, citric acid esters of mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, polysorbate 60, mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, lactose (milk), raising agents: sodium carbonates, glucono-delta-lactone, flavouring, 0,3% lemon juice from concentrate, thickeners: guar gum, sodium alginate, glucose syrup, preservative: potassium sorbate, salt, gelling agent: agar, egg yolk powder, colour: carotenes, maltodextrin, malted wheat flour, allergy advice for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold, may also contain nuts and soya,
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.