Salt-label comparers
You want a ready-to-serve tin and need to compare salt across products. Start with the per-100g figures, then check the amount you expect to serve.
Who is comparing these tins
Premium pudding hosts
You are serving custard with a dessert such as crumble or pie and care about a cream-led recipe, while still wanting to see its salt information before choosing.
Light-option shoppers
You are considering a custard with less fat or sugar and want to check salt separately rather than assume the figures move together.
What matters when choosing custard
For a ready-to-serve dessert, compare salt on the same per-100g basis, then decide how much recipe richness and the other nutrition figures matter to you.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable salt figures | Compare salt per 100g before looking at figures for different serving sizes; then check your intended portion. | If salt decides which tin I buy, I need figures measured on the same basis rather than a light or deluxe description. About 44% of consumers put that salt comparison first. |
| Recipe richness | Look at the ingredients and the salt, fat and saturates figures for the stated serving. | When custard is a prominent part of the dessert, I may care most about whether the recipe uses cream. That richer-recipe priority comes first for about 33% of consumers. |
| Light option and portions | Compare salt, sugars and fat per 100g, and check the serving and opened-pack instructions. | If I am choosing a light-labelled tin or planning smaller servings, I do not want to mistake a fat or sugar difference for a salt difference. Roughly 23% of consumers make that their primary concern. |
Mistakes to avoid when comparing tins
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Assuming “light” means less salt
Ambrosia lists 0.12g salt per 100g for Light Devon Custard and 0.11g for standard Devon Custard. Its Light product’s stated reduction concerns fat and sugar, not salt.
Choose which nutrition figure matters to you, then compare that figure on the current packs.
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Comparing different serving sizes
A per-serving salt figure depends on the serving size: the checked Sainsbury’s custard uses 125g, while Ambrosia Devon Custard uses 130g.
Use salt per 100g for the initial comparison, then check the figure for the portion you intend to serve.
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Forgetting about an opened tin
The checked Ambrosia and Sainsbury’s products require refrigeration after opening and say to use the custard within three days. Sainsbury’s also says not to reheat its custard once cooled.
Choose a tin size you can use within its stated storage period, and follow that product’s directions for leftovers and reheating.
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Reading “deluxe” as a nutrition claim
Tesco describes Ambrosia Deluxe as a thick, creamy recipe made with fresh West Country cream. Its listed 130g serving contains 0.14g salt, 6.5g fat and 3.6g saturates; the richer description alone tells you none of those figures.
Read the nutrition table if richness and salt both affect your choice, comparing salt per 100g where that figure is available.
Relevant brands and custard lines
Ambrosia
Its checked tins offer standard Devon Custard, Light Devon Custard and a cream-led Deluxe recipe.
- Ambrosia lists 0.11g salt per 100g for standard Devon Custard 400g and 0.12g for Light Devon Custard 400g.
- The Light product’s fat and sugar positioning does not make it the lower-salt choice of those two tins. Check the current pack when comparing variants.
M&S
Silky Smooth Custard is a 400g ready-to-serve can made with whole milk, cream and vanilla flavouring.
- Marks & Spencer lists 0.10g salt per 100g for this custard, below the figures listed for the checked standard and Light Ambrosia tins.
- Check availability for your chosen store and confirm the nutrition on the pack.
Sainsbury’s
Its checked Ready To Eat Custard is a 500g ready-to-serve option with a stated 125g serving.
- Sainsbury’s lists 0.15g salt per 100g and 0.19g per 125g serving; it can be served cold or heated.
- After opening, it must be refrigerated and eaten within three days. Its instructions say not to reheat it once cooled.
Bird’s
Bird’s Original is custard powder prepared with added ingredients, rather than a ready-to-serve tin.
- It offers a make-your-own route if a ready-to-serve format is not essential.
- Bird’s lists 0.15g salt per 100g when prepared with semi-skimmed milk; that prepared figure should not be treated as the powder’s nutrition or compared without accounting for the preparation method.
Joybuy ready-to-serve custard tins
These Ambrosia tins offer a strawberry-flavoured variant, standard Devon Custard and a low-fat-labelled option. Compare each variant’s current salt label rather than applying one tin’s figure to another.
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Ambrosia Strawberry Flavour Devon Custard 400g
Consider this 400g strawberry-flavoured variant if you want a change from standard Devon Custard. Check the salt figure on this variant’s current pack before comparing it with the other tins.
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Ambrosia Devon Custard 400g
For a standard ready-to-serve custard, Ambrosia lists 0.11g salt per 100g for this 400g Devon Custard. It contains milk; remove leftovers from the can, refrigerate them and use them within three days of opening.
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Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g
Consider this 400g low-fat-labelled custard if fat is also part of your decision. Do not use that description as a salt comparison: check this variant’s salt per 100g against the standard Devon Custard tin.
Questions about salt and serving custard
Does light tinned custard necessarily contain less salt?
No. Ambrosia lists 0.12g salt per 100g for Light Devon Custard 400g and 0.11g for standard Devon Custard 400g. The Light product’s stated reduction concerns fat and sugar, so compare salt separately.
What does the NHS say about adults’ daily salt intake?
The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day. That includes salt already in packaged foods as well as salt added during cooking or at the table.
Can I keep custard after heating it?
Follow the instructions for the particular tin. Sainsbury’s Ready To Eat Custard says not to reheat it once cooled, while Ambrosia Devon Custard instructs you to remove opened leftovers from the can, refrigerate them and use them within three days. Check the pack before heating or storing leftovers.