Meatballs & Spaghetti
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
4
0 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
5.50g
Medium
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 (4)
This label lists 2 antioxidants, 1 emulsifier and 1 preservative.
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
E300
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Antioxidant
What it is. Vitamin C, added to protect colour and flavour and sometimes to fortify.
Why it is used. Stops browning in juices and cut fruit, protects fats, and boosts vitamin content.
What the evidence says. Beneficial and harmless at the levels used. Included here as a reminder that an E number is just a code, and plenty of them are ordinary nutrients.
Permitted freely, no concern.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E300
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E282 Calcium propionate preservative
- E392 Extracts of rosemary antioxidant
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
Water, Spaghetti (22%) (Durum Wheat Semolina, Water), Chopped Tomatoes (13%) (Tomato Juice), Beef (8%), Pork (8%), Onion, Tomato Juice (3%) (Salt), Carrots, Tomato Puree, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), White Bread (Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Yeast, Salt, Soya Flour, Preservative: Calcium Propionate, Emulsifiers: Mono - And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Ester Of Mono - And Diglycerides, Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid), Unsalted Butter [Milk], Chicken Stock (Yeast Extract, Chicken Fat (contains Antioxidant: Extracts of Rosemary), Salt, Water, Chicken Stock (Chicken Bones, Water, Salt)), Mediterranean Vegetable Stock (Tomato Paste, Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Water, Red Pepper Juice Concentrate, Onion Juice Concentrate, Garlic Puree, Lemon Juice, Ground Celery Seed, Ground Basil, Ground Oregano, Natural Flavouring, Black Pepper), Rapeseed Oil, Garlic, Free Range Pasteurised Whole Egg, Basil, Parsley, Worcester Sauce (Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Molasses, Onion Puree, Salt, Tamarind Paste, Cloves, Ginger Puree), White Pepper.
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.