Fully Loaded Fried Chicken & Waffle Fries
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
9
1 we grade moderate or higher
5 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
6.06g
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 (9)
This label lists 2 antioxidants, 2 colours, 2 raising agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 preservative and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
- E500 Sodium 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
Waffle Fries (45%) (Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Wheat Flour, Salt, Modified Wheat Starch, Modified Potato Starch, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Paprika, Raising Agents: Diphosphates, Sodium Carbonates; Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Paprika Extract), Cooked Battered Chicken (15%) (Chicken Breast (53%), Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Maize Flour, Wheat Semolina, Salt, Maize Starch, Raising Agents: Diphosphates, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, Sodium Carbonates; Wheat Fibre, Pea Fibre, Black Pepper, Dextrose, Tapioca Starch, Dried Yeast, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Flavouring (Contains Wheat), Flavouring, Paprika Extract, Ground Black Pepper, Ground White Pepper, Ground Thyme, Ground Cayenne Pepper, Colour: Curcumin; Dried Sage), Water, Mozzarella Cheese (Milk) (8%) Tomato Ketchup (Water, Tomato Paste, Sugar, White Vinegar, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Flavouring), Dark Brown Sugar, Cooked Bacon Lardons (3%) (Pork, Water, Salt, Stabilisers: Triphosphates, Carrageenan, Sodium Carbonates; Vegetable Fibre, Antioxidants: Sodium Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid; Preservative: Sodium Nitrate), White Wine Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Maize Starch, Onion, Garlic Purée, Lime Juice, Worcester Sauce (Water, White Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Tamarind Paste, Onion Powder, Barley Malt Extract, Garlic Powder, Ground Ginger, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Clove Powder, Chilli Powder), Salt, Dijon Mustard (Water, Mustard Seeds, White Vinegar, Salt), Smoked Paprika, Barley Malt Extract, Ground Fennel, Yeast Extract (Contains Barley), Chipotle Chilli Powder.
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.