Thorntons ESTABLISHED 1911 CLASSIC Deliciously Bri
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
2
0 we grade moderate or higher
Counted from the label, not by quantity
Sugars per 100g
54g
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 (2)
This label lists 1 emulsifier and 1 sweetener.
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
Ingredients
Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, vegetable fats (palm kernel, coconut), dried skimmed MILK, glucose syrup, sweetened condensed MILK (whole MILK, sugar, lactose (MILK)), anhydrous MILK fat, brown sugar (sugar, molasses), dried whole MILK, butter (MILK), lactose (MILK), HAZELNUTS, dextrose, fat reduced cocoa powder, humectant (sorbitol syrup), whole MILK, invert sugar syrup, emulsifiers Decithins (SOYA), E471), ALMONDS, maize flour, rice flour, skimmed MILK, whey (MILK), sea salt, flavourings, MILK proteins, salt, cream (MILK), raising agent (sodium hydrogen carbonate) MAY ALSO CONTAIN: CEREALS CONTAINING GLUTEN, OTHER NUTS Energy
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.