6 Ice Cream Mini Bites Chocolate Brownie
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
12
0 we grade moderate or higher
6 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 (12)
This label lists 5 thickeners and gelling agents, 3 emulsifiers, 1 acidity regulator, 1 preservative, 1 raising agent and 1 sweetener.
E407
Carrageenan
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A gel forming fibre extracted from red seaweed.
Why it is used. Thickens dairy, plant milks, desserts and some processed meats.
What the evidence says. Food grade carrageenan is permitted. A degraded form called poligeenan is harmful, but that is not what goes into food. Some lab and animal work links carrageenan to gut inflammation, which keeps it under review, but human evidence is limited and mixed.
Permitted, including in organic food in many places, though a few specialist products avoid it as a precaution.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E407
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
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
E415
Xanthan gum
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.
Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.
What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E200 Sorbic acid preservative
- E410 Locust bean gum thickener
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E417 Tara gum thickener
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
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
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM (39%) [Reconstituted Skimmed Milk, Sugar, Coconut Oil, Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Paste*, Cocoa Butter*, Emulsifier: Lecithins (Soya); Flavouring), Water, Cocoa Powder*, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Lactose (Milk), Milk Protein, Stabilisers: Tara Gum, Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum; Emulsifier: Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids], Water, Sugar, Wheat Flour, Pasteurised Egg, Stabilised UHT Whipping Cream (Milk), Wheat Starch, Cocoa Powder*, Coconut Fat, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder*, Modified Maize Starch, Emulsifiers: Mono-and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Calcium Stearate, Lecithins (Soya); Skimmed Milk Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Soya Oil, Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Sorbitols, Xanthan Gum; Raising Agents: Diphosphates, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Sulphate, Sodium Carbonates; Coconut Oil, Preservative: Sorbic Acid; Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Salt, Flavouring, Acid: Citric Acid.
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.