Firecracker Pigs in Blankets
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
7
2 we grade moderate or higher
4 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
19g
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 (7)
This label lists 4 preservatives, 1 acidity regulator, 1 antioxidant and 1 colour.
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
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E223 Sodium metabisulphite preservative
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
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
Pork cocktail sausage (70%) (pork (56%), water, wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium, folic acid, iron, niacin, thiamin), grated mature Cheddar cheese (6%) (mature Cheddar cheese (milk), potato starch), pork rind, habanero chilli (2%), jalapeño chilli (2%), cheese powder (milk), potato starch, salt, yeast extract, spices, stabiliser (triphosphates), flavourings, chilli flakes, preservative (sodium metabisulphite), sage, colour (curcumin), antioxidant (sodium ascorbate). Sausage filled in beef collagen casing), Oak smoked bacon (30%) (pork belly (95%), salt, dextrose, sugar, dried glucose syrup, preservatives (sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate), antioxidant (sodium ascorbate))
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.