Grilled Chicken Sandwich
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
Fat per 100g
8.80g
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 (6)
This label lists 2 acidity regulators, 2 emulsifiers, 1 antioxidant and 1 preservative.
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
E300
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Antioxidant
What it is. Vitamin C, added to protect colour and flavour and sometimes to fortify.
Why it is used. Stops browning in juices and cut fruit, protects fats, and boosts vitamin content.
What the evidence says. Beneficial and harmless at the levels used. Included here as a reminder that an E number is just a code, and plenty of them are ordinary nutrients.
Permitted freely, no concern.
Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E300
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E282 Calcium propionate preservative
- E325 Sodium lactate acidity regulator
- E451 Triphosphates acidity regulator
- 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
chicken burger (46%), [chicken breast, water, acidity regulator: sodium lactate, potato starch, stabiliser: triphosphates, salt, wheat flour", spices, onion powder, sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, garlic powder, flavourings (contains barley , soya), yeast extract, sunflower oil], sesame seeded bun, [wheat flour*, water, sugar, yeast, rapeseed oil, sesame seeds, salt, preservative: calcium propionate, emulsifiers: mono and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids , mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, antioxidant: ascorbic acid], mayonnaise, [rapeseed oil, water, pasteurised egg yolk, spirit vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, cornflour, garlic powder, onion powder, flavouring], chicken burger contains 85% chicken,"wheat flour with calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin,
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.