Unicorn cake
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
21
0 we grade moderate or higher
14 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
43.75g
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 (21)
This label lists 8 colours, 4 emulsifiers, 3 thickeners and gelling agents, 2 acidity regulators, 2 raising agents, 1 additive and 1 preservative.
E202
Potassium sorbate
Preservative
What it is. The potassium salt of sorbic acid, which stops mould and yeast growth.
Why it is used. Used in cheese, baked goods, dried fruit, wine and dressings.
What the evidence says. Widely used and long regarded as one of the gentler preservatives. EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation lowered the acceptable daily intake and noted gaps in the genotoxicity data, asking for more work, while finding no evidence of harm at the levels actually used.
Permitted with maximum levels. EFSA has asked for further data rather than restricted it.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E202
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
E100
Curcumin
Yellow colour
What it is. The yellow pigment from turmeric root.
Why it is used. Colours mustards, sauces, dairy, confectionery and savoury snacks.
What the evidence says. A plant pigment people have eaten as a spice for a very long time, and regulators treat it as safe with an acceptable daily intake. EFSA noted that children who eat a lot of the foods it is used in could approach that intake, which is a reason to watch total use rather than a sign of harm.
Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E100
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
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
E415
Xanthan gum
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.
Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.
What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E101 Riboflavin colour
- E153 Vegetable carbon colour
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E162 Beetroot red, betanin colour
- E163 Anthocyanins colour
- E170 Calcium carbonate colour
- E331 Sodium citrates acidity regulator
- E414 Acacia gum (gum arabic) thickener
- E422 Glycerol other
- E440 Pectin thickener
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate emulsifier
- E500 Sodium 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
sugar, plum and raspberry jam (13%) [glucose-fructose syrup, plum concentrate, seedless raspberry concentrate, gelling agent (pectins), acidity regulators (citric acid, sodium citrates), colour (anthocyanins), flavouring], fortified wheat flour [wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin (b3), thiamin (b1)], rapeseed oil, pasteurised whole egg, palm oil, palm kernel oil, water, humectant (glycerol), dried glucose syrup, skimmed milk powder, raising agents (diphosphates, sodium carbonates), maize starch, palm stearin, emulsifiers (mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, soya lecithins, sunflower lecithins, acacia gum, sucrose esters of fatty acids), whey solids (milk), preservative (potassium sorbate), flavourings, fruit, plant and vegetable concentrates [beetroot, carrot, spirulina, pumpkin, apple], colours (carotenes, riboflavin, iron oxides and hydroxides, vegetable carbon, anthocyanins, beetroot red, curcumin, paprika extract), acidity regulator (citric acid), glucose syrup, coconut oil, spirulina extract, stabiliser (xanthan gum), glazing agent (beeswax white and yellow). allergy advice! for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. may also contain nuts.
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.