Chicken Triple Sandwich
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
5
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
5.32g
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 (5)
This label lists 2 emulsifiers, 1 acidity regulator, 1 antioxidant and 1 preservative.
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
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
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
- E472E Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters (DATEM) emulsifier
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
Chicken and Stuffing: wheat flour [_wheat_ flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin], chicken breast (30%), water, rapeseed oil, cornflour, onion, salt, white wine vinegar, pasteurised _egg_ yolk, yeast, _oats_, emulsifiers [mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids, mono - and di-acetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids], spirit vinegar, _wheat_ gluten, _soya_ flour, sage, _mustard_ flour, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, palm oil, flour treatment agent [ascorbic acid], sunflower oil. Chicken and Bacon Mayonnaise: water, wheat flour [_wheat_ flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin], chicken breast (20%), rapeseed oil, smoked bacon (4.5%)[pork belly, sugar, salt, emulsifier [sodium triphosphate],honey, preservative[sodium nitrate]], Malted _wheat_ flakes, cornflour, _wheat_ bran, white wine vinegar, pasteurised _egg_ yolk, salt, _wheat_ gluten, malted _barley_ flour, yeast, emulsifiers [mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids, mono - and di-acetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids], spirit vinegar, malted _wheat_ flour, black pepper,_mustard_ flour, black pepper, garlic powder, flour treatment agent [ascorbic acid], palm oil, sunflower oil. Chicken and Sweetcorn: wheat flour [_wheat_ flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin], chicken breast (26%), water, sweetcorn (11%), Malted _wheat_ flakes, rapeseed oil, _wheat_ bran, cornflour, salt, _wheat_ gluten, white wine vinegar, pasteurised _egg_ yolk, malted _barley_ flour, yeast, emulsifiers [mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids, mono - and di-acetyl tartaric acid esters of mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids], spirit vinegar, malted _wheat_ flour, black pepper,_mustard_ flour, black pepper, garlic powder, flour treatment agent [ascorbic acid], palm oil, sunflower oil.
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.