Iced Ring Doughnuts
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
11
0 we grade moderate or higher
6 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
19.82g
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 colours, 3 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents, 1 antioxidant, 1 glazing agent and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
E100
Curcumin
Yellow colour
What it is. The yellow pigment from turmeric root.
Why it is used. Colours mustards, sauces, dairy, confectionery and savoury snacks.
What the evidence says. A plant pigment people have eaten as a spice for a very long time, and regulators treat it as safe with an acceptable daily intake. EFSA noted that children who eat a lot of the foods it is used in could approach that intake, which is a reason to watch total use rather than a sign of harm.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E100
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
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E414 Acacia gum (gum arabic) thickener
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E472E Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters (DATEM) emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E904 Shellac glazing agent
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
Wheat Flour, Palm Fat, Water, Sugar, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Dextrose, Yeast, Rapeseed Oil, Lactose (Milk), Soya Flour, Rice Flour, Whey Solids (Milk), Coconut Fat, Emulsifiers: Mono-and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Lecithins (Rapeseed, Sunflower); Shea Fat, Raising Agents: Diphosphates, Sodium Carbonates; Potato Powder, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Favourings, Glazing Agents: Gum Arabic, Shellac, Red Beet Extract, Autolysed Yeast, Colours Carotenes, Beetroot Red Curcumin, Paprika Extract; Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Enzymes
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.