Chicken Caesar & Bacon On Sourdough
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
3
1 we grade moderate or higher
2 of them not yet assessed here
Fat per 100g
9.10g
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 (3)
This label lists 1 acidity regulator, 1 antioxidant and 1 preservative.
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
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E301 Sodium ascorbate antioxidant
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
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
Ciabatta Roll With Sourdough [Wheat Flour, Water, Olive Oil, Inactive Durum Wheat Sourdough, Salt, Yeast, Fermented Wheat Flour], Ranch Style Caesar Dressing [Water, Rapeseed Oil, Soured Cream (Milk), White Wine Vinegar, Garlic Purée, Medium Fat Hard Cheese (Milk), Cornflour, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Dijon Mustard (Water, Mustard Seed, Vinegar, Salt), Sugar, Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Black Treacle, Spirit Vinegar, Tamarind Concentrate, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, White Pepper, Ground Pimento, Ground Ginger, Ground Paprika, Ground Clove), Salt, Chives, Parsley, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Potato Starch], Chicken Breast (18%) [Chicken Breast, Cornflour, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Salt, Black Pepper, Mushroom Extract Powder, Lemon Juice Powder], Smoked Bacon (6%) [Pork Belly, Salt, Stabilisers (Pentapotassium Triphosphate, Pentasodium Triphosphate), Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Preservative (Sodium Nitrite)], Mayonnaise [Water, Rapeseed Oil, Cornflour, Pasteurised Egg, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Salt, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard (Water, Brown Mustard Seed, Spirit Vinegar, Salt)], Medium Fat Hard Cheese (Milk), Lettuce, Spinach, Rocket. ALLERGY ADVICE:
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.