Tesco 5 Gingerbread Pumpkins
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
11
1 we grade moderate or higher
6 of them not yet assessed here
Sugars per 100g
37.45g
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 (11)
This label lists 4 colours, 2 emulsifiers, 1 acidity regulator, 1 glazing agent, 1 preservative, 1 raising agent and 1 thickener or gelling 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
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
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E160C Paprika extract, capsanthin colour
- E162 Beetroot red, betanin colour
- E440 Pectin thickener
- E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids emulsifier
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E904 Shellac glazing 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
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Sugar, Invert Sugar Syrup, Palm Oil, Water, Egg, Glucose Syrup, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates [Safflower, Spirulina, Carrot, Hibiscus, Apple, Lemon], Ginger Powder, Colours (Beetroot Red, Paprika Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Mixed Carotenes), Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate), Potato Starch, Rice Starch, Emulsifiers (Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Maltodextrin, Glazing Agent (Shellac), Flavouring, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Lemon Juice from Concentrate, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Sucrose, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)
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.