Sweetcorn Sausage King
Top Oriental Ltd
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
15
1 we grade moderate or higher
10 of them not yet assessed here
Salt per 100g
1.56g
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 (15)
This label lists 3 acidity regulators, 3 flavour enhancers, 2 antioxidants, 2 preservatives, 2 thickeners and gelling agents, 1 colour, 1 additive and 1 raising agent.
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
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
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
E415
Xanthan gum
Thickener and stabiliser
What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.
Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.
What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415
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
- E270 Lactic acid acidity regulator
- E315 Erythorbic acid antioxidant
- E392 Extracts of rosemary antioxidant
- E450 Diphosphates raising agent
- E452 Polyphosphates acidity regulator
- E508 Potassium chloride other
- E575 Glucono-delta-lactone acidity regulator
- E627 Disodium guanylate flavour enhancer
- E631 Disodium inosinate flavour enhancer
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
Chicken, Water, Sweet Corn, Pork, Acetylated Diastarch Phosphate, Sugar, _Soy_ Protein, Edible Salt, Edible Dextrose, Food Flavour, Osteopontin, Chicken Seasoning (Lactose, Salt, Flavour Enhancer (E621, E631, E627), Maltodextrin, Potassium Chloride, Chicken Meal (5.7%), Modified Starch, Vegetable Oil, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Chicken Fat (0.6%), Flavouring Agent (With Egg), Chicken Extract (0.1%), Potato Starch, Acidulant (E270), Antioxidant (E392), Colour (E150c)), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Carrageenan, Spices, Sodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Xanthan Gum, Konjac Flour, Maltodextrin, Potassium Sorbate, Streptococcus Lactis, Gluconic Acid Delta-lactone, Sodium D-isoascorbic Acid, Monascus Red, Sodium Nitrite.
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.