maltesers hot chocolate
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
6
0 we grade moderate or higher
4 of them not yet assessed here
Nutrients
–
Nothing above the low band
Or no figures recorded at all
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 2 acidity regulators, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 anticaking agent and 1 emulsifier.
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
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E339 Sodium phosphates acidity regulator
- E340 Potassium phosphates acidity regulator
- E412 Guar gum thickener
- E551 Silicon dioxide anticaking agent
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, dried barley malt extract (25%), fat reduced cocoa powder (10%), whey permeate (milk), dried glucose syrup, coconut oil, skimmed milk powder, stabilisers (guar gum, e466 e340ii, e339ii, e4521), low sodium salt (sea salt, potassium chloride magnesium sulphate), anti-caking agent (e551), salt, milk profeins emulsifiers (e471), flavourings suitable for vegetarians. best
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.