The letter E on a label frightens people more than it deserves to. All it means is that an additive has been assessed and given a number in the European register — the same register that numbers citric acid and beetroot colouring.
The number says nothing about harm
The numbering groups additives by what they do, not by how safe they are. E100–E199 are colours, E200–E299 preservatives, E300–E399 antioxidants and acidity regulators. E300 is ascorbic acid: vitamin C.
So “no E numbers” on a packet is marketing, not a description of the food. It is far more useful to know which additives are actually in this product, and how much.
What is worth looking at
The order of the ingredients — they are listed by weight, heaviest first. If sugar is second, there is a lot of it, however many additives sit beside it.
Allergens are their own problem. They are marked on the label, but in small type and often at the end of a long line, where they are easy to miss.
Where the scanner comes in
Foodstr reads the barcode and lays the ingredients out properly: what each additive is, what it is doing there, and whether the product contains anything you have marked as unwanted for yourself. No ads and no sponsors — we sell none of what we scan.
Allergen detection is still in beta: it can miss something or flag it incorrectly, so the label is still worth checking yourself.