Beef shin, smoked bacon and ale pie
Willys Pies
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
11
1 we grade moderate or higher
6 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
10.60g
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 (11)
This label lists 3 antioxidants, 3 preservatives, 2 colours, 1 acidity regulator, 1 emulsifier and 1 thickener or gelling 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
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
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
E330
Citric acid
Acidity regulator
What it is. A mild acid found naturally in citrus fruit, made commercially by fermentation.
Why it is used. Adds tartness, balances flavour and helps preserve. One of the most used additives in food.
What the evidence says. Safe at food levels. No credible health concern for the additive itself.
Permitted freely.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E330
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E150C Ammonia caramel colour
- E223 Sodium metabisulphite preservative
- E252 Potassium nitrate preservative
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E304 Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid antioxidant
- E306 Tocopherol-rich extract antioxidant
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
Pastry (Wheat Flour (WHEAT Flour, iron, niacin, thiamine, calcium), Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Emulsifier (E471), Antioxidant (E306, E304). Flavouring, Colour (E160a), Water), Beef (18%), Chicken Stock (Chicken, Carrot, CELERY, Leek, Onion, Fennel, Pepper, Water), Lardons (8%) (Pork Belly, Dry Cure [Salt, Sugar, Preservatives (E250, E252), Sodium Ascorbate)], Ale (4%) (contains BARLEY), Onion, Mushrooms, Carrot, Wheat Flour (WHEAT Flour, iron, niacin, thiamine, calcium), Garlic, CELERY, EGG, Horseradish Sauce (Spirit Vinegar, Horseradish, Turnip, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Sugar, Glucose - Fructose Syrup, Flavourings, Salt, EGG Yolk Powder, Thickener (Xanthan Gum), MUSTARD Flour, Dextrose, Antioxidant (Sodium METABISULPHITE)), Tomato Paste, Rapeseed Oil, Parsley, Browning (Colour (Ammonia Caramel), Salt, Water), Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Pepper, 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.