Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
Black Label Bakery
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
7
0 we grade moderate or higher
3 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
28g
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 3 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents, 1 antioxidant and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
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
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
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
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
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising 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
_Wheat_ flour, Vegetable fats in varying proportions (Palm, Coconut), Belgian Milk chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Whole _milk_ powder, Cocoa mass, Whey powder (_milk_), Emulsifier (_Soy_ lecithins), Natural vanilla flavouring), Sugar, Water, Vegetable oils in varying proportions (Rapeseed, Sunflower, Palm), White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Whole _milk_ powder, Skimmed _milk_ powder, Lactose (_milk_), Whey powder (_milk_), Emulsifier (_Soy_ lecithins), Natural vanilla flavouring), Belgian Dark chocolate (Cocoa mass, Sugar, Cocoa butter, Anhydrous butterfat (_milk_), Emulsifier (_Soy_ lecithins), Natural vanilla flavouring), Fat reduced cocoa powder, Yeast, _Rye_ flour, Whole _milk_ powder, Dextrose, Emulsifier (Mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, Lecithins, Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate), Glucose syrup, Salt, Raising agent (Diphosphates, Sodium carbonates), Cocoa mass, Skimmed _milk_ powder, Thickener (Xanthan gum), Lecithins (_soy_), Flour treatment agent (Ascorbic acid), Natural flavouring, Natural vanilla flavouring.
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.