Original Peperami
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
4
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
44g
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 (4)
This label lists 3 flavour enhancers and 1 preservative.
E250
Sodium nitrite
Preservative and colour fixer, cured meats
What it is. A curing salt that keeps cured and processed meats pink and stops the growth of the bacteria behind botulism.
Why it is used. Used in bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs for preservation, safety and colour.
What the evidence says. The concern is not the additive in isolation but processed meat as a whole, which the WHO's cancer agency IARC classes as Group 1, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes colorectal cancer. Nitrite can form nitrosamines during curing and cooking, and those are the likely culprit. Risk rises with how much processed meat you eat over time.
Permitted with strict maximum levels. The EU cut the allowed limits further from 2023 to reduce nitrosamine formation.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E250
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
- E627 Disodium guanylate flavour enhancer
- E631 Disodium inosinate 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
pork, iodised salt (salt, potassium iodate), dextrose, spices, pork fat, flavour enhancer (monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), preservative (sodium nitrite), beechwood smoke
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.