Beouf Bourguignon & mash
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
3
1 we grade moderate or higher
1 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
3.30g
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 (3)
This label lists 2 preservatives and 1 antioxidant.
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
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
Mashed Potato (46%) (Potato (91%), Single Cream (Milk), Salted Butter (Butter (Milk), Salt), Salt, Ground Black Pepper), Water, Cooked Diced Beef (12%) (Beef Brisket (97%), Potato Starch, Salt), Button Mushrooms (4.5%), Silverskin Onions (4.5%), Cooked Marinated Beef (2.5%) (Beef Brisket (90%), Water, Ale (contains Barley), Maize Starch, Salt), Mature Cheddar Cheese (Milk) (2.5%), Onion, Chianti Red Wine (2%), Smoked Pancetta (1.5%) (Pork, Salt, Dextrose, Glucose Syrup, Water, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid; Preservatives: Potassium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrate; Flavourings, Garlic Powder, Garlic), Beef Stock (Yeast Extract (contains Barley), Beef Stock (Beef Bones, Water, Salt), Salt, Water), Modified Maize Starch, Garlic Purée, Tomato Paste, Sherry Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Ghee Butter (Milk), Salt, Barley Malt Extract, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Smoked Paprika, Cracked Black Pepper, Yeast Extract (contains Barley), Thyme, Ground Bay Leaf.
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.