Pringles hot cheese
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
8
0 we grade moderate or higher
6 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
30g
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 (8)
This label lists 2 acidity regulators, 2 colours, 2 flavour enhancers, 1 emulsifier and 1 additive.
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
E621
Monosodium glutamate
Flavour enhancer
What it is. The sodium salt of glutamate, an amino acid found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms.
Why it is used. Boosts savoury, umami flavour in stocks, crisps, ready meals and sauces.
What the evidence says. The old idea of MSG causing headaches and flushing, once called Chinese restaurant syndrome, has not held up in controlled trials. Regulators worldwide treat it as safe at normal intake. A genuinely useful example of a feared additive that the evidence exonerates.
Permitted and classed as safe. Adds to total sodium, so it counts towards salt if a product uses a lot.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA, US FDA. Full entry for E621
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E160B Annatto, bixin, norbixin colour
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E270 Lactic acid acidity regulator
- E327 Calcium lactate acidity regulator
- E508 Potassium chloride other
- E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides flavour enhancer
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
Pommes de terre déshydratées, huile de tournesol, farine de maïs, farine de blé, assaisonnement (lactose {lait}, babeurre en poudre {lait}, arômes, sel, exhausteurs de goût {glutamate monosodique, 5'-ribonucléotide disodique}, chlorure de potassium, dextrose, fromage en poudre {lait}, sucre, épices {piment, poivre blanc}, ail en poudre, acidifiant {acide lactique}, extrait de levure, correcteur d'acidité {lactate de calcium}, maltodextrine, huile de tournesol, amidon de maïs, colorant {extrait de paprika}), farine de riz, maltodextrine, émulsifiant (E471), huile de colza, colorant (norbixine de rocou).
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.