Spicy Chicken Noodle Bowl
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
8
0 we grade moderate or higher
5 of them not yet assessed here
Nutrients
–
Nothing above the low band
Or no figures recorded at all
Three separate readings, kept apart on purpose. This is not a score, and none of it says this product is harmful.
Additives (8)
This label lists 2 colours, 2 flavour enhancers, 2 preservatives, 1 raising agent and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
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
- E150A Plain caramel colour
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E640 Glycine and its sodium salt 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
Noodles 76%(_Wheat_ Flour, Palm Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Sugar, Stabiliser(Guar Gum), Garlic Powder, Acidity Regulator(Sodium Carbonates)), Spicy Chicken Flavour Sauce(Water, Sunflower Oil, _Soy_ Sauce(Water, _Soya Beans_, Salt, _Wheat_ Flour, Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Colour(Plain Caramel), Preservative(Sodium Benzoate)), Sugar, Palm Oil, Flavouring(Glycine, Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Xylose, Glucose, Flavouring), Chilli Sauce(_Wheat_ Flour, Corn Malt Syrup, Soya Beans, Water, Chilli Powder, Salt, White Rice, Alcohol), Onion, Flavour Enhancer(Monosodium Glutamate), Yeast Extract, Colours(Paprika Extract, Plain Caramel), Garlic, Tomato, Modified Maize Starch, Flavourings, Preservative(Potassium Sorbate), Sesame Seeds, Seaweed
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.