Cheese and onion bakes
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
8
0 we grade moderate or higher
4 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
21.22g
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 4 thickeners and gelling agents, 2 emulsifiers, 1 acidity regulator and 1 colour.
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
E466
Carboxymethyl cellulose
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A modified plant fibre used to thicken and stabilise.
Why it is used. Common in ice cream, low fat products, gluten free bakery and sauces.
What the evidence says. Falls in the same emulsifier and gut research bucket as polysorbate 80, with early human work hinting at effects on the microbiome. Interesting, not conclusive.
Permitted with limits.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E466
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
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
- E339 Sodium phosphates acidity regulator
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E460 Cellulose thickener
- E472E Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters (DATEM) emulsifier
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
Water, Fortified Wheat Flour (Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Onion (7%), Soft Cheese (4%) (Milk), Mature Cheddar Cheese (4%) (Milk), Potato, Coloured Mature Cheddar Cheese (3%) (Cheddar Cheese (Milk), Colour (Carotenes)), Rapeseed Oil, Modified Starch, Cheese Powder (Cheddar Cheese (Milk), Cheese (Milk), Milk Solids, Salt), Salt, Wheat Gluten, Cream Powder (Milk), Flavouring (contains Milk), Sunflower Oil, Stabiliser (Guar Gum, Carboxy Methyl Cellulose, Carrageenan, Cellulose), Mustard Powder, Milk Protein, White Pepper, Emulsifier (Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Skimmed Milk Powder, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Phosphates), Colour (Carotenes), Sugar, Cornflour, Pea Protein. Allergy Advice - For allergens, see ingredients in bold. May contain Eggs, Soya, Cereals containing Gluten, Sulphites. Ingredients contained in this product are suitable for vegetarians, however we cannot guarantee that this product is suitable for vegetarians as it is produced in a facility that also produces meat products on the same production line.
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.