4 Large Corn Dogs with Ketchup & Honey Mustard Sauce
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
5
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
19.10g
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 (5)
This label lists 2 raising agents, 1 colour, 1 preservative and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
E250
Sodium nitrite
Preservative and colour fixer, cured meats
What it is. A curing salt that keeps cured and processed meats pink and stops the growth of the bacteria behind botulism.
Why it is used. Used in bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs for preservation, safety and colour.
What the evidence says. The concern is not the additive in isolation but processed meat as a whole, which the WHO's cancer agency IARC classes as Group 1, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes colorectal cancer. Nitrite can form nitrosamines during curing and cooking, and those are the likely culprit. Risk rises with how much processed meat you eat over time.
Permitted with strict maximum levels. The EU cut the allowed limits further from 2023 to reduce nitrosamine formation.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E250
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
E415
Xanthan gum
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.
Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.
What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- 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
CORN DOG: PORK (26%), WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, MAIZE SEMOLINA, PORK FAT, SUGAR, SUNFLOWER OIL, RAPESEED OIL, BEEF (2%), SALT, RAISING AGENTS: DIPHOSPHATES, SODIUM CARBONATES; EGG YOLK POWDER, DEXTROSE, GLUCOSE SYRUP, STABILISER: DIPHOSPHATES; WHITE PEPPER, PRESERVATIVES: ASCORBIC ACID, SODIUM NITRITE; HYDROLYSED VEGETABLE PROTEIN, PARSNIP POWDER, GROUND LOVAGE, ONION POWDER, FENUGREEK, MALTODEXTRIN, CHILLI POWDER, GROUND CORIANDER, GROUND GINGER, RED PEPPER POWDER, GROUND CLOVES, GROUND CARDAMOM, MACE EXTRACT, PEPPER EXTRACT, NUTMEG EXTRACT, CARDAMOM EXTRACT, YEAST EXTRACT, TURMERIC EXTRACT. TOMATO KETCHUP: TOMATO (31%), GLUCOSE SYRUP, TOMATO PURÉE (16%), WATER, WHITE VINEGAR, FRUCTOSE, SALT, MODIFIED MAIZE STARCH, STABILISER: XANTHAN GUM; CLOVE EXTRACT. HONEY & MUSTARD SAUCE: WATER, RAPESEED OIL, HONEY, WHITE VINEGAR, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, MAIZE STARCH, MUSTARD SEEDS, SALT, EGG YOLK POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, GROUND TURMERIC, STABILISER: XANTHAN GUM; GLUCOSE SYRUP. ALLERGY ADVICE: FOR ALLERGENS, SEE UNDERLINED INGREDIENTS IN BOLD. ALSO, MAY CONTAIN MILK. WARNING! ALTHOUGH EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO REMOVE ALL BONES, SOME MAY REMAIN.
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.