Modern Strawberry Cream Bun

Refined wheat flour (maida), sugar, yeast and interesterified vegetable fat make up the bun, which is 72% of the pack. Iodized salt, soya flour, a preservative (282), emulsifiers (481(i), 471), glycerol (422), citric acid (330) and ascorbic acid (300) keep it soft and fresh.

The icing is 28% of the pack and starts with sugar and hydrogenated vegetable fat. It holds candied papaya (13.34% of the icing, with its own sugar, preservative 202 and colour 129), palmolein oil, preservative 200, three colours (129, 124, 110) and nature-identical flavouring. There is no strawberry and no cream.

Free sugar is 28.7 g per 100 g, about 14 g in one 50 g bun, since the candied fruit's sugar counts even though the panel's added-sugar line says 18.86 g. Saturated fat is 5.99 g per 100 g, about 3.0 g per bun, and total fat is 11.47 g per 100 g. The label lists hydrogenated vegetable fat in the icing and interesterified fat in the bun, with trans fat declared at no more than 0.1 g per 100 g.

Energy is 337 kcal per 100 g, about 168 kcal per bun. Protein is 6.3 g and fibre is 3.4 g per 100 g, and sodium is 214 mg per 100 g, about 107 mg per bun. No vitamins or minerals are declared.

Allura Red AC (moderate concern): red colour. A synthetic red azo dye (Red 40 in the US) and one of the Southampton Six, carrying a hyperactivity warning in the EU. More on Allura Red AC.

Sunset Yellow FCF (moderate concern): orange or yellow colour. A synthetic orange azo dye and one of the Southampton Six. The EU requires a hyperactivity warning on foods that contain it. More on Sunset Yellow FCF.

Maida (low concern): cheap, soft base flour. Refined wheat flour with the bran and germ removed. Low in fibre and quick to digest. More on Maida.

Calcium Propionate (low concern): stops mould in bread. The most common mould inhibitor in packaged bread. Generally regarded as safe. More on Calcium Propionate.

Palmolein (low concern): cheap, heat-stable frying fat. A cheap, stable frying oil that is about half saturated fat. Very common in Indian packaged snacks. More on Palmolein.

Sorbic Acid (no concern): stops mould and yeast. A preservative against mould and yeast, the parent of potassium sorbate. Judged together with it; no concern at normal intakes. More on Sorbic Acid.

Potassium Sorbate (no concern): stops mould and yeast. A widely used preservative against mould and yeast. Low toxicity. More on Potassium Sorbate.

A 50 g iced bun built on refined wheat flour (maida), sugar, yeast and interesterified vegetable fat. The bun is 72% of the pack and the icing is 28%. The icing is sugar, hydrogenated vegetable fat and palmolein oil, with candied papaya at 13.34% of the icing, three food colours and nature-identical flavouring. It is sold as a soft tea-time or lunch-box snack.

One bun gives about 168 kcal, 3.2 g protein and 3.0 g saturated fat. The cost is mostly sugar: 28.7 g of free sugar per 100 g, which is about 14 g in a bun, plus sodium of 214 mg per 100 g, about 107 mg per bun.

The name says strawberry and cream. The ingredient list has no strawberry and no cream, and the pink colour comes from added dyes while the taste comes from nature-identical flavouring. The pack's own small print says flavoured, but that does not undo the name. That is what sets the [L] flag. CleanPlate scores it [L]DC4.