Who needs to check what?

Travellers carrying food in cabin baggage

GOV.UK treats soup as a liquid or semi-liquid food. Check the liquid-container rules at each airport where you will pass through security before deciding whether a tin belongs in your cabin bag.

Shoppers looking for no added sugar

Compare the claim with the sugars figure per 100g and the ingredient list. Sainsbury’s lists 2.6g sugars per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup; ASDA lists the same figure for its no-added-sugar Cream of Tomato Soup. Both list steviol glycosides.

Travellers checking allergens

The Heinz and ASDA tomato soups described here contain milk. Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Condensed Soup lists milk and celery. Check the label on the exact product you buy, particularly if you may not have another meal option while travelling.

What matters when choosing soup?

Start with the airport rule, then compare the soup’s label and how you would prepare it where you plan to eat.

Priority What to check Your needs
Airport security GOV.UK includes soup among liquid or semi-liquid foods. Check the container-size rule at departure and transfer airports; Heathrow says containers up to 2 litres can pass through its security screening. I want to bring food in my cabin bag without having to change my plans at security. If the airport’s rule does not permit the container, I can put it in checked baggage or buy food after security.
Sugar labelling Read both the no-added-sugar claim and sugars per 100g. Sainsbury’s lists 2.6g per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup, and ASDA lists 2.6g per 100g for its no-added-sugar Cream of Tomato Soup. A no-added-sugar claim matters to me, but I also want to know how much sugar the nutrition panel declares. I would not treat that claim as meaning zero sugars.
Ingredients and allergens Check the current ingredient and allergen declarations. The Heinz and ASDA examples list milk and steviol glycosides; Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Condensed Soup lists milk and celery. I may need to avoid an ingredient, or I may prefer a soup without a sweetener. The wording on the exact can matters more than the soup category.
Preparation Read the serving instructions and check what equipment is needed. Campbell’s condensed tomato soup requires dilution before heating; check heating directions on other soups too. If I plan to eat after travelling, I need a way to prepare the soup as its label directs. A condensed soup also needs the liquid specified in its instructions.
Salt comparison Compare salt on the same per-100g basis using the physical can. If an online serving figure and per-100g figure do not agree, do not use them to decide between products. Salt is one of my deciding factors, so I want figures I can compare on the products I am actually buying.

What could catch you out?

  • Assuming an unopened tin counts as solid food

    GOV.UK classifies soup as a liquid or semi-liquid food. At an airport applying the 100ml container limit, an ordinary soup tin is not a dependable pre-security cabin-bag choice.

    Check the rules for every airport where you will pass through security. If the container is not permitted, consider checked baggage or buying food after security.

  • Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”

    The Heinz and ASDA no-added-sugar tomato soups described here each declare 2.6g sugars per 100g. A front-label claim does not replace the nutrition panel.

    Compare sugars per 100g and read the ingredients when choosing between formulations.

  • Overlooking sweeteners and allergens

    The Heinz and ASDA examples list steviol glycosides and milk. Campbell’s condensed tomato soup lists milk and celery.

    Check the ingredient and allergen declarations on the current can before buying or eating it.

  • Relying on an inconsistent online salt figure

    The reviewed Sainsbury’s listing for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup shows serving and per-100g salt figures that do not reconcile. They cannot provide a clear basis for a salt comparison.

    If salt affects your choice, compare the nutrition panels on the physical cans using the same per-100g measure.

Product labels to compare

These details concern the named tomato soups, not every soup made by each brand.

Heinz

Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup 400g is a labelled no-added-sugar option to compare if that formulation matters to you.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 2.6g sugars per 100g; Heinz’s ingredient information lists steviol glycosides and milk.
  • Check salt on the physical can if it affects your choice, rather than relying on inconsistent figures in the reviewed retailer listing.

ASDA

ASDA Cream of Tomato Soup 400g is an own-label no-added-sugar tomato soup.

  • ASDA lists 2.6g sugars and 0.45g salt per 100g for this product.
  • Its ingredients include milk and steviol glycosides; follow the can’s heating instructions.

Campbell’s

Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Condensed Soup is a different choice when you want a condensed soup for preparation, rather than a no-added-sugar formulation.

  • Its condensed format is prepared by diluting the soup before heating, according to Campbell’s product instructions.
  • Campbell’s lists sugar among the ingredients, as well as milk and celery; check the pack if you need a no-added-sugar soup or must avoid either allergen.

Joybuy soup option

The Joybuy option here is a 400g spicy parsnip and carrot soup. If you specifically want a no-added-sugar tin, check both its packaging and the claim on the product label before choosing it.

Crosse & Blackwell Best of British Spicy Parsnip & Carrot Soup 400g

Crosse & Blackwell Best of British Spicy Parsnip & Carrot Soup 400g

For an airport journey, check the pack’s sugar declaration, ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions. Confirm the container format if you need a tin, and check airport liquid rules before packing this soup in cabin baggage.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a tin of soup through UK airport security?

Not at every airport. GOV.UK classifies soup as a liquid or semi-liquid food and says most UK airports do not permit liquid containers larger than 100ml through security. Heathrow says it permits containers up to 2 litres. Check your departure airport and any airport where you will pass through security again.

Does no added sugar mean there are no sugars in the soup?

No. Sainsbury’s lists 2.6g sugars per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup, and ASDA lists 2.6g per 100g for its no-added-sugar Cream of Tomato Soup. Read the per-100g nutrition panel alongside the claim.

Do these no-added-sugar tomato soups contain sweeteners?

The Heinz and ASDA products described here both list steviol glycosides. Check the current ingredient list if you want to avoid sweeteners, rather than assuming the no-added-sugar claim answers that question.

Which allergens appear in the tomato soups discussed here?

The Heinz and ASDA tomato soups described here contain milk. Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Condensed Soup lists milk and celery. Check the exact can before eating, as the product label is the relevant declaration for the pack you have.

Can I plan to eat the soup cold while travelling?

Do not assume these products are intended to be eaten cold: check and follow the serving directions on the can. The Heinz and ASDA examples have heating instructions, while Campbell’s condensed tomato soup also requires dilution before heating.