Choc orange rocky road
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
Sugars per 100g
39g
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 (12)
This label lists 2 acidity regulators, 2 colours, 2 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 antioxidant and 1 additive.
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
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
E100
Curcumin
Yellow colour
What it is. The yellow pigment from turmeric root.
Why it is used. Colours mustards, sauces, dairy, confectionery and savoury snacks.
What the evidence says. A plant pigment people have eaten as a spice for a very long time, and regulators treat it as safe with an acceptable daily intake. EFSA noted that children who eat a lot of the foods it is used in could approach that intake, which is a reason to watch total use rather than a sign of harm.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E100
E300
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Antioxidant
What it is. Vitamin C, added to protect colour and flavour and sometimes to fortify.
Why it is used. Stops browning in juices and cut fruit, protects fats, and boosts vitamin content.
What the evidence says. Beneficial and harmless at the levels used. Included here as a reminder that an E number is just a code, and plenty of them are ordinary nutrients.
Permitted freely, no concern.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E300
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E162 Beetroot red, betanin colour
- E422 Glycerol other
- E440 Pectin thickener
- E452 Polyphosphates acidity regulator
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E503 Ammonium carbonates raising 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
Klients Dark Chocolate (42(Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Lecithins (Soya Havouring), Biscuit Pieces (23%) (Wheat Flour (Wheat Hour, Calcium carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Sugar, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Invert Sugar Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium hydrogen carbonate, Ammonium carbonates), Salt), Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower), Pink Mallows (6%) (Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Water, Dextrose, Gelling Agent (Carrageenan), Maize Starch, Rice Protein, Flavouring, Stabiliser (Polyphosphates), Colour (Beetroot red)), Sultanas (6%), Invert Sugar Syrup, Orange Pieces (2%) (Fruit Concentrates (Apple, Orange), Humectant (Glycerol - Vegetable), Fructose-Glucose Syrup, Glucose Syrup, Wheat Fibre, Sugar, Palm Fat, Rice Starch, Acidity Regulators (Citric acid, Ascorbic acid), Gelling Agent (Pectin), Flavouring, Colour (Curcumin)), Water, Emulsifier (Mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids - Vegetable), Orange Oil. Allergy Advice For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. Also, may contain nuts, egg, milk other gluten containing cereals (barley, oats). Made using vegan ingredients but prepared in an environment that handles ingredients that contain egg and milk.
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.