GENERAL HEALTH Boots A-Z 50+ Tailored for 50+ with
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
8
1 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 (8)
This label lists 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 anticaking agent, 1 antioxidant, 1 colour, 1 additive and 1 raising agent.
E171
Titanium dioxide
Whitener and opacifier
What it is. A bright white pigment used to make sweets, icing, sauces and coatings look opaque and white.
Why it is used. Purely cosmetic. It changes appearance, not taste or safety of the food.
What the evidence says. In 2021 the EU food safety body EFSA concluded it could no longer be considered safe as a food additive, mainly because possible genetic damage from the tiny particles could not be ruled out. That is a precautionary call rather than proof of harm in people.
Banned as a food additive in the EU since 2022. Still permitted in the UK and the US, which reached different conclusions on the same evidence. A clear case of the same additive, different rules.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA, US FDA. Full entry for E171
E466
Carboxymethyl cellulose
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A modified plant fibre used to thicken and stabilise.
Why it is used. Common in ice cream, low fat products, gluten free bakery and sauces.
What the evidence says. Falls in the same emulsifier and gut research bucket as polysorbate 80, with early human work hinting at effects on the microbiome. Interesting, not conclusive.
Permitted with limits.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E466
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E334 Tartaric acid acidity regulator
- E341 Calcium phosphates raising agent
- E422 Glycerol other
- E460 Cellulose thickener
- E572 Magnesium stearate anticaking 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
Calcium Carbonate, Cellulose, Magnesium Orde Citrate, Ferrous Fumarate, Modified Maize Starch, Cross-linked Maize Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose ne Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Nicotinamide, Colours (Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides), Vitamin E Acetate, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Pantothenate, Glycerol, Sodium Selenite, Sodium Molybdate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Stearate, Chromium Conde Marigold Extract, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulphate Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Antioxidants (DL Alpha Tocophen Sodium Ascorbate, Tartaric Acid), Vitamin A Acetate, Potassium iodide, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), Cyanocobalamin.
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.