Compare salt per 100g on ready-to-serve tins rather than treating ‘light’ or ‘low fat’ as a reduced-salt claim. ASDA lists 0.10g salt per 100g for its Just Essentials custard, while Ambrosia lists 0.11g for standard Devon Custard and 0.12g for Light Devon Custard; all are within the NHS low-salt threshold of 0.3g per 100g. If energy, sugars or the amount left after supper also matters, check those separately on the pack you intend to buy.
If salt is your main concern, compare the declared amount per 100g across ready-to-serve tins. ASDA and Ambrosia product information shows why checking the figure is more useful than relying on the wording on the front of a pack.
If you are also comparing energy, fat or sugars, read those figures alongside salt. Ambrosia’s Light Devon Custard has lower declared values for those three measures than its standard custard, but not for salt.
Ready-to-serve custard suits a supper that needs little preparation. For the Ambrosia and ASDA tins discussed here, plan around the pack’s instructions for refrigerating and using any remainder after opening.
Start with salt per 100g if that is the reason for your choice. Then check the other nutrition figures and whether you can use the opened tin within its stated storage period.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Declared salt | Compare salt per 100g on the same ready-to-serve product type; check your intended serving separately. | If I am choosing custard mainly for its salt declaration, I want to compare tins on the same basis. About 50% of consumers put the lowest declared salt first. |
| Energy, fat and sugars | Read the per-100g energy, fat and sugars figures as well as salt; do not use ‘light’ as a substitute for checking salt. | For a late dessert, I may care more about its energy, fat and sugars while still checking salt separately. That is the primary concern for about 30% of consumers. |
| Serving and leftovers | Check whether it is ready to serve, how much you will use and the pack’s instructions after opening. | If I only want custard for one supper, I need a pack whose remainder I can use as directed. Roughly 20% of consumers put immediate serving and manageable leftovers first. |
Ambrosia lists 0.12g salt per 100g for Light Devon Custard and 0.11g for its standard Devon Custard, even though the Light version has lower declared energy, fat and sugars.
When salt is the priority, compare the salt line first and treat the other nutrition figures as separate choices.
A per-serving figure depends on the serving used for that label. It may not describe the amount you put in a bowl.
Use the per-100g salt declaration to compare tins, then look at the pack’s portion information for the amount you expect to serve.
The Ambrosia and ASDA tins discussed here instruct shoppers to refrigerate custard after opening and use it within 3 days. ASDA also instructs shoppers to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container.
Choose a pack size you can use within its stated period and follow the instructions on that pack.
Custard left unused beyond the stated period may go to waste.
Its ready-to-serve 400g Devon Custard cans include standard and Light versions that can be served cold or heated.
Its Just Essentials and Creamy ready-to-serve custards are both sold in 400g cans.
Its ready-to-eat Lighter Custard is a 500g UHT carton, rather than a tinned option.
Bird’s Original Custard Powder is an option for making custard rather than opening a ready-to-serve tin.
These Ambrosia selections include two 400g custards and a larger 1kg Light pack. Compare their current pack labels and formats before choosing for a late supper.
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Consider this if you want a strawberry-flavour custard in a 400g pack. Check its current salt declaration per 100g rather than assuming the flavour has the same nutrition as standard Devon Custard; it contains milk.
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Consider this larger Light pack if you expect to use more than a 400g tin, but check the 1kg pack’s own salt and other nutrition declarations. Its Light name does not establish that it has less salt, and you should plan how to use it after opening. It contains milk.
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This ready-to-serve 400g custard suits a supper where you want the standard Devon Custard recipe. Ambrosia declares 0.11g salt per 100g; check the current pack before buying. It contains milk, and Ambrosia instructs shoppers to refrigerate and use it within 3 days after opening.
No. Ambrosia declares 0.12g salt per 100g for Light Devon Custard in a 400g can, compared with 0.11g for its standard 400g Devon Custard. Compare salt separately from energy, fat and sugars on the exact pack you choose.
The NHS defines low salt as 0.3g of salt or less per 100g. That per-100g threshold is not a claim that one custard contains less salt than another, so compare their declared figures if the difference matters to your purchase.
Follow the instructions for the product you buy. The Ambrosia and ASDA tins discussed here say to refrigerate leftovers and use them within 3 days; ASDA also says to transfer the remainder to a non-metallic container.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the physical pack before eating. The Ambrosia and ASDA custards discussed here contain milk; do not assume every custard has the same ingredients or that a previous pack’s label still applies.