Malaysian brown sugar sponge cake
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
10
0 we grade moderate or higher
8 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
9.50g
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 (10)
This label lists 4 acidity regulators, 2 raising agents, 1 emulsifier, 1 flavour enhancer and 1 preservative. 1 more we cannot place from the code alone.
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
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
- E210 Benzoic acid preservative
- E331 Sodium citrates acidity regulator
- E339 Sodium phosphates acidity regulator
- E340 Potassium phosphates acidity regulator
- E341 Calcium phosphates raising agent
- E500 Sodium carbonates raising agent
- E501 Potassium carbonates acidity regulator
- E521 No entry in our register
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
sugar 29%, (_egg_ 27%, (_wheat_ flour 18%, evaporated (_milk_ (_milk_, stabiliser (E339), vitamin D), _milk_) powder (blended of dairy ingredients, vegetable fat, fried glucose syrup (Anatto), dried (_whey_, dried skimmed (_milk_, (_milk_ protein, hydrogen lactose, vegetable oil, acidity regulators (E331, E340), emulsifiers (E471)), custard powder (corn flour, salt, colour flavouring), _butter_, vegetable oil, raising agent (E521, E341, E500), acidity regulator (E501), (_soya_ sauce (sugar, (_soybean 22%, water, _wheat flour_, _sesame, spring onion, garlic, flavour enhancer (E621), preservative (E210), raising agent (E500).
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.