Chicokate Nom-Noms
Unknown brand
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
10
0 we grade moderate or higher
5 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
45.20g
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 (10)
This label lists 4 emulsifiers, 1 acidity regulator, 1 additive, 1 preservative, 1 raising agent and 1 sweetener. 1 more we cannot place from the code alone.
E202
Potassium sorbate
Preservative
What it is. The potassium salt of sorbic acid, which stops mould and yeast growth.
Why it is used. Used in cheese, baked goods, dried fruit, wine and dressings.
What the evidence says. Widely used and long regarded as one of the gentler preservatives. EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation lowered the acceptable daily intake and noted gaps in the genotoxicity data, asking for more work, while finding no evidence of harm at the levels actually used.
Permitted with maximum levels. EFSA has asked for further data rather than restricted it.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E202
E420
Sorbitol
Sweetener and humectant
What it is. A sugar alcohol, about half as sweet as sugar, which also holds moisture.
Why it is used. Used in sugar free sweets and gum, and to keep baked goods soft.
What the evidence says. Not a toxicity question at all. Sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed, so a large amount draws water into the gut and has a laxative effect. That is well established, predictable and dose dependent, which is why the label has to say so.
Permitted. Foods with more than 10 per cent polyols must carry the statement that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E420
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
E322
Lecithin
Emulsifier
What it is. A natural emulsifier, usually from soya or sunflower.
Why it is used. Keeps chocolate smooth and stops ingredients separating.
What the evidence says. Safe and widely used. Only relevant if the source, such as soya, is an allergen for you.
Permitted freely. Source allergen must be declared.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E322
E330
Citric acid
Acidity regulator
What it is. A mild acid found naturally in citrus fruit, made commercially by fermentation.
Why it is used. Adds tartness, balances flavour and helps preserve. One of the most used additives in food.
What the evidence says. Safe at food levels. No credible health concern for the additive itself.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E330
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E422 Glycerol other
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) emulsifier
- E502 No entry in our register
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
milk chocolate (35%) [sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, skimmed milk powder, milk fat, palm oil, shea fat, emulsifiers (soya lecithins, polyglycerol polyricinoleate), flavouring], sugar, wheat flour, palm oil, glucose syrup, whole egg, fat reduced cocoa powder, humectants (glycerol, sorbitol), water, flavourings, whey powder (from milk), raising carbonates), émulsifiers (mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids), salt, preservative (potassium sorbate), citric acid. chocolate flavour filling (26%). agents (diphosphates, sodium
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.