Sweetzone party mix
Unknown brand
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
10
2 we grade moderate or higher
6 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 (10)
This label lists 7 colours, 1 acidity regulator, 1 glazing agent 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
E122
Carmoisine
Red colour
What it is. A synthetic red dye, also called azorubine.
Why it is used. Colours jellies, sweets, drinks and desserts.
What the evidence says. One of the Southampton Six. The same modest hyperactivity signal in some children, and the same warning requirement.
Children's activity warning required in the UK and EU. Not approved for food use in the US.
Assessed against UK FSA, EFSA. Full entry for E122
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E133 Brilliant blue FCF colour
- E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls colour
- E150A Plain caramel colour
- E163 Anthocyanins colour
- E428 Gelatine thickener
- 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
glucose syrup, sugar, beef gelatine (halal), dextrose, citric acid, apple juice from concentrate (1%), glazing agents (palm oil, carnauba wax), flavourings, colours [e100(ii), e163, e141, e133, e150a, e160a(iii), e102, e122*], *consumption of e102, 122 may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children,
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.