Cheese crackers
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
9
1 we grade moderate or higher
5 of them not yet assessed here
Saturates per 100g
6.40g
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 (9)
This label lists 2 colours, 2 emulsifiers, 2 raising agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 preservative and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
E251
Sodium nitrate
Preservative, cured meats and some cheeses
What it is. A curing agent that slowly converts to nitrite in the product, giving a longer acting preservative effect.
Why it is used. Used in dry cured meats and a few traditional cheeses.
What the evidence says. Sits under the same processed meat evidence as nitrite, since it ends up as nitrite in the food. Same practical takeaway: the issue is regular processed meat intake, not a trace in one meal.
Permitted with maximum levels, tightened in the EU alongside nitrite.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E251
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
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
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
- E160B Annatto, bixin, norbixin colour
- E331 Sodium citrates acidity regulator
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- 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
Maize Starch, Rice Flour, Vegetable Margarine, [Palm Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Emulsifier (Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Salt], Modified Maize Starch, Cheese Seasoning (6%) [Cheese Powder (Milk), Emulsifier (Sodium Citrates), Salt, Preservative (Sodium Nitrate), Colours (Annatto, Carotenes)], Dextrose, Egg, Pregelatinised Rice Flour, Flavourings, Thickener (Guar Gum), Raising Agents (Sodium Carbonates, Ammonium Carbonates), Emulsifier (Lecithins). Allergy Advice! for allergens see ingredients in bold. Not suitable for soya allergy sufferers. May also contain traces of sesame seeds. NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURS OR HYDROGENATED FAT.
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.