Families making tomato-based bakes
If a pasta bake, pizza-style bake or casserole will also contain cheese, stock or toppings, compare the tomato base as one part of the finished recipe.
Who is this for?
Shoppers choosing between plain tins and sauces
Read the ingredients as well as the nutrition panel. A plain-looking tomato product can still list salt as an ingredient, while a seasoned sauce may contain other additions.
Cooks choosing a particular sauce texture
Chunky chopped tomatoes suit a bake where pieces can remain visible; finely chopped pulp offers a more even base. Compare salt separately rather than using texture as a clue to its level.
What should you check?
Start with the per-100g salt figure for a like-for-like comparison, then consider what goes into the bake and how you want its sauce to turn out.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt in the tin | Compare salt per 100g, not just per serving. The NHS classifies 0.3g or less per 100g as low salt; also read the ingredients to see whether salt is listed. | I want a tomato base with a lower declared salt figure, rather than assuming every plain tin has the same ingredients. |
| Whole-recipe ingredients | Look at the quantity of tomatoes used and at additions such as cheese, stock and sauces. A tin's nutrition panel does not describe the finished bake. | If I'm adding several savoury ingredients, I want to consider them alongside the tomatoes before seasoning the sauce. |
| Sauce texture | Check whether the tomatoes are chunky or finely chopped. Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky, while the ASDA listing describes Mutti Polpa as finely chopped. | Visible tomato pieces may suit my casserole; for another bake, I may prefer a more even sauce. |
| Pack and leftovers | Choose a pack quantity you can use and follow the opened-tin instructions on its label. The compared M&S, Sainsbury's and Napolina listings give different use-within periods. | When a bake uses only part of a tin, I need to know how to store the remainder and when to use it. |
What can catch you out?
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Assuming a tomato tin has no added salt
The ASDA listing for Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes names salt in its ingredients and declares 0.30g salt per 100g. Other tins in this comparison list tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid without salt as an ingredient.
Read both the current ingredients list and the salt figure per 100g if a lower-salt base is your priority.
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Judging the bake by the tomato tin alone
Cheese, stock and sauces contribute their own salt to a recipe. The NHS advises watching sauces and using herbs and spices for flavour instead of adding salt.
Consider the ingredients across the whole bake before adding more salt to its tomato sauce.
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Treating the label serving as a child's portion
A manufacturer's serving figure may not match the amount of tomato in the portion you serve. The per-100g figure lets you compare tins on the same basis.
Compare tins per 100g first, then consider how much tomato the recipe uses and how you divide the finished bake.
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Applying one storage rule to every opened tin
The Sainsbury's and ASDA Napolina listings say to refrigerate opened leftovers and use them within 2 days. Marks & Spencer specifies a non-metallic container, refrigeration and use within 3 days for its chopped tomatoes.
Follow the instructions on the tin you buy, including any directions to transfer the contents after opening.
Relevant brands and ranges
These figures describe the named products, not every tomato product made or sold under each brand.
M&S
M&S Chopped Italian Tomatoes are a plain chopped-tomato option for comparing declared salt levels.
- Marks & Spencer lists 0.02g salt per 100g and ingredients of chopped Italian tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid.
- Its opened-product instructions say to transfer the contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within 3 days.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Italian Chopped Tomatoes come in a 4 × 400g pack for recipes using chopped tomatoes regularly.
- Sainsbury's lists 0.07g salt per 100g and ingredients of tomatoes, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid.
- Its listing says to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within 2 days.
Tesco
Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes are another 4 × 400g chopped-tomato option.
- Tesco lists 0.09g salt per 100g, with tomato, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid in the ingredients.
- Tesco notes that food products may be reformulated, so check the label on the pack you buy.
Napolina
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky and suitable for thick sauces.
- Napolina lists 0.10g salt per 100g for its chopped tomatoes, below the NHS low-salt cut-off of 0.3g per 100g.
- The ASDA listing for the 4 × 400g pack says to refrigerate opened contents and use them within 2 days.
Mutti
Mutti Polpa is a finely chopped tomato option when a more even sauce texture is wanted.
- The ASDA listing describes finely chopped pulp and declares 0.30g salt per 100g, exactly at the NHS low-salt cut-off.
- Its listed ingredients include salt, and its declared salt figure is higher than those of the other named tins compared here.
Chopped tomatoes on Joybuy
These chopped-tomato tins offer single-tin and multipack quantities for tomato-based bakes. Compare the current label's salt per 100g and ingredients when choosing between them.
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Laila Canned Chopped Tomatoes 12 × 400g
A multipack of chopped tomatoes for recipes that call for a tomato base. Compare the current tin's salt per 100g and opened-product instructions before use.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 × 400g
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky, a consideration for bakes where tomato pieces suit the sauce. The ASDA listing for this 4 × 400g pack declares 0.10g salt per 100g and says to refrigerate opened contents and use them within 2 days; check the current pack label.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 6 × 400g
Six 400g tins provide chopped tomatoes for more than one bake. Check this pack's current salt figure and ingredients rather than assuming every pack variant has an identical label.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 24 × 400g
This 24 × 400g pack is an option when chopped tomatoes are used across several recipes. Check that the quantity suits your plans, and read the current label for salt and storage instructions.
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KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g
A single 400g tin to consider when a recipe calls for chopped tomatoes without a multipack. Read the current can for its salt per 100g, ingredients and directions for storing leftovers.
Common questions
What does low salt mean on a UK food label?
The NHS classifies a food as low in salt when it contains 0.3g salt or less per 100g. Use that per-100g figure to compare tins of different sizes, then check the current label before buying.
Which of the compared tins has the lowest declared salt?
M&S Chopped Italian Tomatoes has the lowest declared figure among the five compared products, at 0.02g salt per 100g according to Marks & Spencer. Sainsbury's lists 0.07g, Tesco 0.09g and Napolina 0.10g per 100g for their named chopped-tomato products; check the current labels when choosing.
Does a plain-looking tomato tin always have no added salt?
No. The ASDA listing for Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes includes salt in the ingredients and declares 0.30g salt per 100g. Read the ingredients and nutrition panel together rather than judging by the front of the tin.
How should I store tomatoes left in an opened tin?
Follow that product's label. The compared Sainsbury's and ASDA Napolina listings say to refrigerate leftovers and use them within 2 days; Marks & Spencer says to transfer its chopped tomatoes to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within 3 days.
Does choosing a low-salt tin settle the salt question for a child's bake?
No. The salt figure on the tin covers the tomatoes, not additions such as cheese, stock or sauces. NHS Healthier Families gives maximum daily salt amounts of 3g for ages 4–6, 5g for ages 7–10 and 6g for ages 11 and over; consider the ingredients and portion served as part of the day's food.