Mrs unis sweet potato and red onion pakora
Unknown brand
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
13
1 we grade moderate or higher
7 of them not yet assessed here
Nutrients
–
Nothing above the low band
Or no figures recorded at all
Three separate readings, kept apart on purpose. This is not a score, and none of it says this product is harmful.
Additives (13)
This label lists 3 colours, 2 acidity regulators, 2 preservatives, 2 raising agents, 2 sweeteners, 1 additive and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
E102
Tartrazine
Yellow colour
What it is. A synthetic lemon yellow dye.
Why it is used. Colours soft drinks, sweets, sauces and snacks.
What the evidence says. One of the Southampton Six colours linked in a 2007 UK study to increased hyperactivity in some children. The effect is modest and does not affect every child, but it was enough for a mandatory on pack warning.
UK and EU require the label to warn it may affect activity and attention in children. Permitted in the US without that warning.
Assessed against UK FSA, EFSA. Full entry for E102
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
E211
Sodium benzoate
Preservative
What it is. A preservative that stops yeasts, moulds and some bacteria growing in acidic foods.
Why it is used. Used in soft drinks, sauces, pickles and dressings.
What the evidence says. EFSA re-evaluated it in 2016 and kept an acceptable daily intake, with normal exposure below it. The known issue is specific: in acidic drinks that also contain vitamin C, benzoate can form small amounts of benzene, so manufacturers reformulated to avoid the combination. It was also present in the drink mixes used in the Southampton hyperactivity study, though the warning requirement that followed applies to the colours rather than to benzoate.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E211
E951
Aspartame
Artificial sweetener
What it is. An intense sweetener around 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in tiny amounts.
Why it is used. Sweetens diet drinks, sugar free gum and low calorie desserts.
What the evidence says. In 2023 IARC listed it as possibly carcinogenic, its weakest evidence tier. At the same time the expert intake committee JECFA kept the safe daily limit unchanged, noting you would need a very high daily intake to approach it, roughly a dozen or more cans of diet drink a day for an adult. So headline scary, practically low concern for normal use.
Permitted with an acceptable daily intake. People with the condition PKU must avoid it, which is why packs carry a phenylalanine note.
Assessed against IARC, JECFA, EFSA. Full entry for E951
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
- E133 Brilliant blue FCF colour
- E150C Ammonia caramel colour
- E260 Acetic acid acidity regulator
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E900 Dimethyl polysiloxane other
- E954 Saccharin sweetener
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
Sweet Potatoes & Red Onion Pakora (70%) - Sweet Potatoes (20%), Gram Flour, White Onions, Cabbage, Red Onions (10%), Self-Raising Flour (Wheat Flour with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Raising Agents (E450, E500)), Salt, Water, Spices (Cumin, Coriander, Fenugreek, Red Chilli Powder, Crushed Red Chillies, Turmeric), Water, Fresh Coriander, Non-Brewed Condiment (Water, Acid (Acetic Acid), Colour (E150c)), Rapeseed Oil, Antifoaming Agent (E900)). Spicy Chilli Dip (30%) - Tomato Ketchup [Tomatoes (84g Tomatoes per 100g of Ketchup), Sugar, Thickener (Modified Starch), Water, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Acetic Acid), Spirit Vinegar, Preservative (E202), Onion Powder, Spice and Spice Extracts, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Sodium Saccharin), Colour (E150c)], Water, Tomato Paste (Tomatoes, Salt), Mint Sauce [Water, Acids (Acetic Acid, Citric Acid), Reconstituted Mint (44%), Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Thickener (Xanthan Gum), Mint Green Colour (Colourants (E102, E133), Water, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid)], Salt, Non-Brewed Condiment [Water, Acid (Acetic Acid), Colour (E150c)], Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Garam Masala (Ground Coriander, Cumin, Cinnamon, Ground Star Aniseed, Black Pepper, Ginger, Green and Black Cardamom, Pimento, Ground Bay Leaves, Nutmeg, Ground Cloves), Red Chilli Powder. 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.