Stuffed crust takeaway loaded cheese
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
5
0 we grade moderate or higher
3 of them not yet assessed here
Saturates per 100g
6.98g
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 1 acidity regulator, 1 antioxidant, 1 colour, 1 emulsifier and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
E300
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Antioxidant
What it is. Vitamin C, added to protect colour and flavour and sometimes to fortify.
Why it is used. Stops browning in juices and cut fruit, protects fats, and boosts vitamin content.
What the evidence says. Beneficial and harmless at the levels used. Included here as a reminder that an E number is just a code, and plenty of them are ordinary nutrients.
Permitted freely, no concern.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E300
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E270 Lactic acid acidity regulator
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E472E Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters (DATEM) emulsifier
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
_Wheat_ flour (with calcium, niacin (B3), iron, thiamin (B1)), a blend of _mozzarella_, mature _cheddar_, monterey jack and emmental _cheese_ 22%, water, tomato puree, full fat soft _cheese_ 5%, vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed), yeast, cheddar _cheese_ 1.5%, salt, sugar, modified starch (potato, tapioca), emulsifying salts (sodium phosphate, sodium citrates), garlic, stabiliser (guar gum), emulsifier (mono - and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids), herbs and spices, acidity regulator (lactic acid), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid), flavouring, colour (beta-carotene).
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.