Easter caramel shortcake bites
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
7
0 we grade moderate or higher
5 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
33.90g
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 4 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents and 1 colour.
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E170 Calcium carbonate colour
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E503 Ammonium 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
Caramel (45%): [Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milk, Sugar), Invert Sugar Syrup, Vegetable Margarine (Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Water, Salt, Emulsifier (E475 Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids), Flavouring), Palm Oil (Fully Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Kernel Oil)], Biscuit Base (38%): [Digestive Biscuit (Wheat Flour (with Added Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Sugar, Oatmeal, Invert Sugar Syrup, Raising Agents (E500 Sodium Bicarbonate, E503 Ammonium Bicarbonate), Salt), Vegetable Oil ((Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil), Emulsifier (E471 Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids)), Chocolate Flavour Coating (16%): Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), Whey Powder (from Milk), Wheat Flour (With Added Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifiers (E322 Soya Lecithin, E476 Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate), Natural 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.