Bacon & cheese wraps
Sayers
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
7
1 we grade moderate or higher
4 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
26g
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 (7)
This label lists 2 preservatives, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 acidity regulator, 1 colour and 1 emulsifier.
E250
Sodium nitrite
Preservative and colour fixer, cured meats
What it is. A curing salt that keeps cured and processed meats pink and stops the growth of the bacteria behind botulism.
Why it is used. Used in bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs for preservation, safety and colour.
What the evidence says. The concern is not the additive in isolation but processed meat as a whole, which the WHO's cancer agency IARC classes as Group 1, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes colorectal cancer. Nitrite can form nitrosamines during curing and cooking, and those are the likely culprit. Risk rises with how much processed meat you eat over time.
Permitted with strict maximum levels. The EU cut the allowed limits further from 2023 to reduce nitrosamine formation.
Assessed against IARC, EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E250
E466
Carboxymethyl cellulose
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A modified plant fibre used to thicken and stabilise.
Why it is used. Common in ice cream, low fat products, gluten free bakery and sauces.
What the evidence says. Falls in the same emulsifier and gut research bucket as polysorbate 80, with early human work hinting at effects on the microbiome. Interesting, not conclusive.
Permitted with limits.
Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E466
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E339 Sodium phosphates acidity regulator
- E460 Cellulose thickener
- 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
Unsmoked Back Bacon with added Water 27% (Pork, Water, Salt, Preservative (Potassium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite)), Fortified _Wheat_ Flour (Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Mild White Cheddar _Cheese_ 17% (_Milk_), Water, Palm Oil, Glaze (Water, Rapeseed Oil, Modified Starch, _Milk_ Protein, Emulsifier (Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Phosphates), Stabiliser (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose, Cellulose), Colour [Carotenes)), Salt.
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.