Original Patty Co. Cheesy Beef Patty
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
6
2 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
16.70g
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 (6)
This label lists 3 colours, 1 flavour enhancer, 1 additive and 1 preservative.
E102
Tartrazine
Yellow colour
What it is. A synthetic lemon yellow dye.
Why it is used. Colours soft drinks, sweets, sauces and snacks.
What the evidence says. One of the Southampton Six colours linked in a 2007 UK study to increased hyperactivity in some children. The effect is modest and does not affect every child, but it was enough for a mandatory on pack warning.
UK and EU require the label to warn it may affect activity and attention in children. Permitted in the US without that warning.
Assessed against UK FSA, EFSA. Full entry for E102
E110
Sunset Yellow FCF
Orange-yellow colour
What it is. A synthetic orange yellow dye.
Why it is used. Colours squashes, sweets, snacks and desserts.
What the evidence says. Also one of the Southampton Six, carrying the same signal for hyperactivity in sensitive children.
UK and EU require the children's activity warning. Permitted in the US.
Assessed against UK FSA, EFSA. Full entry for E110
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
E621
Monosodium glutamate
Flavour enhancer
What it is. The sodium salt of glutamate, an amino acid found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms.
Why it is used. Boosts savoury, umami flavour in stocks, crisps, ready meals and sauces.
What the evidence says. The old idea of MSG causing headaches and flushing, once called Chinese restaurant syndrome, has not held up in controlled trials. Regulators worldwide treat it as safe at normal intake. A genuinely useful example of a feared additive that the evidence exonerates.
Permitted and classed as safe. Adds to total sodium, so it counts towards salt if a product uses a lot.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA, US FDA. Full entry for E621
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E150C Ammonia caramel colour
- E900 Dimethyl polysiloxane other
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, water, margarine (non-hydrogenated vegetable oils [palm and rapeseed in varying proportions], water, salt), cheese (milk) (13%), beef (10 %), onion, rusk (wheat), sugar, rapeseed oil (non-hydrogenated, contains E900 - antifoaming agent), herbs and spices, salt, garlic, chilli pepper, colour (E102, E110, E150C), flavour enhancer (E621), preservative: potassium sorbate.
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.