Paella
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
Salt per 100g
0.78g
Medium
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 2 colours, 1 antioxidant and 1 preservative.
E251
Sodium nitrate
Preservative, cured meats and some cheeses
What it is. A curing agent that slowly converts to nitrite in the product, giving a longer acting preservative effect.
Why it is used. Used in dry cured meats and a few traditional cheeses.
What the evidence says. Sits under the same processed meat evidence as nitrite, since it ends up as nitrite in the food. Same practical takeaway: the issue is regular processed meat intake, not a trace in one meal.
Permitted with maximum levels, tightened in the EU alongside nitrite.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E251
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
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
32% Cooked Rice with Turmeric (Water, Rice, Turmeric), 11% Red Peppers, Tomatoes, 10.9% Peas, 10% Marinated Fried Chicken Breast Pieces (9.5% Chicken Breast, Starch, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Dextrose), Onions, Water, 4.6% Romano Beans, 2.7% Chorizo (2% Pork, 0.5% Pork Fat, Salt, Milk Protein, Spices, Natural Flavouring, Smoke Flavouring, Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate; Preservative: Sodium Nitrate, Colours: Carotenes, Paprika Extract), Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, Salt, Sugar, Basil, Rapeseed Oil, Thyme, Clarified Butter (Milk), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rice Starch, Garlic Powder, Fish Stock (Glucose Syrup, Fish Powder, Sunflower Oil, Onion Powder, Herbs, Spices), Turmeric Powder, Cream Powder (Milk). Allergy Advice
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.