Peanut Butter Gain Bar
Gain Bar (Lidl)
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
Saturates per 100g
5.20g
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 (8)
This label lists 2 sweeteners, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 colour, 1 emulsifier and 1 additive.
E955
Sucralose
Artificial sweetener
What it is. An intense sweetener made from sugar, around 600 times sweeter, so it is used in very small amounts.
Why it is used. Sweetens diet drinks, tabletop sweeteners, dairy and baked goods.
What the evidence says. Regulators have treated it as safe for decades and the acceptable daily intake has not changed. Newer laboratory work on a breakdown product, and the general question of sweeteners and the gut microbiome, keep it under discussion, but that work is early and has not moved any official position.
Permitted with an acceptable daily intake in all three regions.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E955
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
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
- E150A Plain caramel colour
- E327 Calcium lactate acidity regulator
- E422 Glycerol other
- E440 Pectin thickener
- E965 Maltitol sweetener
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
ft N rl Win Alt - LOW SUGAR CHICIS V VEGETARIAN LE Chocolate peanut flavoured protein bar with sweeteners gredients Protein Blend (Mick Protein Isolate, Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Soya Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate (Milk, Emulsifier: Sunflower cithins)), Couverture Milk Chocolate with Sweetener (Sweetener: Maltitol; Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithins, Ma Vanilla Flavouring), Humectant: Glycero, Caramel Flavour Filling (Humectant: Glycerol; Maltodextrin, Oligofructose, Bulking Agent. Maltitol Coconut Oil, Skimmed Milk Powder, Modified Maize Starch, Water, Colour: Plain Caramel; Gelling Agent: Pectins; Stabiliser: Calcium Lactate; Elsifier: Rapeseed Lecithins; Natural Flavourings, Salt, Thickener: Xanthan Gum), Soluble Tapioca Fibre, Sweeteners: Maltitol Syrup, Sucralose; Water, 4% Nibbed Peanuts, Flavouring, Salt, Natural Flavouring. Couverture
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.