Chewable Vitamin C - Orange Flavour
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
4
0 we grade moderate or higher
2 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 (4)
This label lists 2 anticaking agents and 2 sweeteners.
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
E950
Acesulfame K
Artificial sweetener
What it is. A calorie free intense sweetener, often blended with other sweeteners to round out taste.
Why it is used. Used in diet drinks, dairy and confectionery.
What the evidence says. Long treated as safe by regulators. Some recent research on sweeteners and the gut microbiome is ongoing, but nothing has changed the official safety position.
Permitted with an acceptable daily intake in all three regions.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E950
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E551 Silicon dioxide anticaking agent
- E572 Magnesium stearate anticaking 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
Bulking Agent: Sorbitol; Vitamin C (Sodium-L-Ascorbate, L-Ascorbic Acid), Anti-Caking Agent: Silicon Dioxide; Magnesium Stearate, Sweeteners: Aspartamet, Acesulfame K; Flavouring. +Contains a source of phenylalanine
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.