Tesco Curly The Caterpillar Cake
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
18
0 we grade moderate or higher
12 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
43.70g
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 (18)
This label lists 5 colours, 3 emulsifiers, 3 thickeners and gelling agents, 2 glazing agents, 2 raising agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 additive and 1 preservative.
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
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
E160A
Carotenes
Yellow to orange colour
What it is. The orange pigments found in carrots and other vegetables, either extracted or made synthetically.
Why it is used. Colours margarine, soft drinks, dairy, and sweets.
What the evidence says. The same compound the body turns into vitamin A, and safe at the levels used in food. High dose beta-carotene supplements have been linked to harm in smokers, but those doses are far above anything a colour in food delivers, and conflating the two is a common mistake.
Permitted. The supplement findings apply to concentrated doses, not to food colouring.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E160A
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
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
- E101 Riboflavin colour
- E140 Chlorophylls and chlorophyllins colour
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E163 Anthocyanins colour
- E413 Tragacanth thickener
- E414 Acacia gum (gum arabic) thickener
- E422 Glycerol other
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E901 Beeswax glazing agent
- E903 Carnauba wax glazing 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
Sugar, Milk Chocolate Covering (19%) [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Dried Skimmed Milk, Whey Powder (Milk), Milk Fat, Palm Oil, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins), Sal Fat, Mango Kernel Fat, Shea Fat], Sweet Decorations (13%) [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Glucose Syrup, Dried Whole Milk, Palm Oil, Cocoa Mass, Humectant (Glycerol), Dried Skimmed Milk, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Sunflower Oil, Stabilisers (Tragacanth, Xanthan Gum), Whey Powder (Milk), Emulsifiers (Lecithins, Soya Lecithins, Acacia Gum, Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Wheat Flour, Rice Starch, Invert Sugar Syrup, Flavourings, Colours (Paprika Extract, Anthocyanins, Beta-Carotene, Riboflavin, Chlorophylls), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Glazing Agents (Acacia Gum, Carnauba Wax, White and Yellow Beeswax), Fruit And Vegetable Concentrates (Grape, Radish, Blackcurrant, Lemon, Beetroot, Safflower, Algae, Elderberry, Malted Barley], Wheat Flour, Glucose Syrup, Butter (Milk), Pasteurised Egg, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Water, Soya Flour, Invert Sugar Syrup, Pasteurised Egg White, Rice Syrup, Concentrated Grape Juice, Dried Skimmed Milk, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Palm Oil, Humectant (Glycerol), Emulsifiers (Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids), Salt, Maize Starch, Cornflour, Rapeseed Oil, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Dried Egg White. Wheat Flour contains: Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Allergy Advice
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.