Chocolate & orange sundae
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
3
0 we grade moderate or higher
Counted from the label, not by quantity
Saturates per 100g
8.70g
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 (3)
This label lists 2 emulsifiers and 1 thickener or gelling agent.
E407
Carrageenan
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A gel forming fibre extracted from red seaweed.
Why it is used. Thickens dairy, plant milks, desserts and some processed meats.
What the evidence says. Food grade carrageenan is permitted. A degraded form called poligeenan is harmful, but that is not what goes into food. Some lab and animal work links carrageenan to gut inflammation, which keeps it under review, but human evidence is limited and mixed.
Permitted, including in organic food in many places, though a few specialist products avoid it as a precaution.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E407
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
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
Ingredients
Water, Glucose Syrup, Coconut Oil, Dried Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Rice, Coconut Cream (2.5%), Inulin, Cocoa Powder, Dark Chocolate (1.5%) [Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithins)], Orange Peel (15%), Alcohol, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Maltodextrin, Citrus Fibre, Modified Tapioca Starch, Thickener (Carrageenan), Emulsifier (Mono-and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Sunflower Oil, Flavouring, Carrot Concentrate, Apple Concentrate, Salt, Safflower Concentrate.
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.