Shoppers comparing salt labels
If salt is your priority, the figure per 100g gives you a more useful comparison than a search term. The NHS defines low salt on food labels as 0.3g or less per 100g.
Who this is for
Budget shoppers stocking a cupboard
If tins vary in size, check how much fruit remains after draining. Tesco’s listing for its 227g pineapple slices in juice, for example, states a drained weight of 136g.
Shoppers choosing between juice and syrup
For fruit you plan to use regularly in breakfasts, snacks or cooking, the packing medium matters. The NHS advises choosing canned fruit in natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt.
What to check when buying
Start with the salt figure, the amount of fruit after draining and the packing medium; a “reduced salt” search result does not settle all three questions.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Salt on the label | Compare salt per 100g on the nutrition panel. The NHS low-salt threshold is 0.3g or less per 100g. | If I am trying to choose a tin with less salt, I need the stated amount rather than a search phrase to guide me. About 36% of consumers put checking the salt figure first. |
| Fruit after draining | Check pack weight against drained weight where it is stated; the liquid forms part of the total pack weight. | When stocking the cupboard, I want to know how much fruit a tin will leave me once the liquid is removed. For about 36% of consumers, usable fruit quantity is the primary concern. |
| Juice, water or syrup | Read the description and ingredients for the packing medium, then check sugars per 100g if that affects your choice. | If I want fruit for everyday use rather than a syrup-based dessert, the liquid it comes in changes which tin I choose. Packing medium comes first for about 28% of consumers. |
Common buying mistakes
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Taking “reduced salt” as the deciding detail
A search phrase does not give you the salt content of a particular tin. Product labels can show different amounts even among fruit packed in juice.
Read salt per 100g on the tin you intend to buy and compare it with the NHS low-salt threshold of 0.3g or less per 100g.
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Treating total can weight as fruit weight
The weight on the front includes liquid. Tesco’s 227g pineapple slices in juice listing, for instance, gives a drained weight of 136g.
Look for a drained-weight figure when the amount of fruit matters to your choice, particularly when comparing different can sizes.
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Assuming juice means no sugars
Fruit packed in juice can contain naturally occurring sugars, while syrup is a different packing medium. The NHS advises natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt for routine canned-fruit choices.
Check the ingredients and sugars line. Choose syrup deliberately if a dessert or recipe calls for it.
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Forgetting the instructions after opening
Storage instructions matter if you plan to use a tin over more than one sitting.
Choose a can size that suits your planned portions and follow that product’s instructions for storing leftovers.
Brands to consider for tinned fruit
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label pineapple slices in juice provide a product-specific example for checking salt and drained weight.
- The 227g listing states 136g drained weight and less than 0.01g salt per 100g.
- Those figures describe this pineapple product, not every Tesco tin; check the label of the one you choose.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists own-label fruit in juice as well as fruit in syrup, allowing shoppers to distinguish the packing medium.
- Its listed peach slices in fruit juice state less than 0.01g salt per 100g.
- The peach figure does not establish the salt content of other fruit or syrup-packed products.
Princes
Princes identifies pineapple chunks in juice and lists 227g and 432g formats.
- Princes’ own product information lists pineapple and pineapple juice among the ingredients and states 0.05g salt per 100g for its pineapple chunks in juice.
- Use those manufacturer figures for the named product, not as a specification for the full Princes range.
Del Monte
Sainsbury’s tinned-fruit category lists Del Monte juice-packed peaches, pears, pineapple, mandarins and fruit cocktail.
- The range of listed fruits gives you several packing-medium and fruit-type combinations to check.
- Read the nutrition panel on the exact product; a category listing does not establish one salt figure for the range.
M&S
M&S grapefruit segments in juice offer a citrus example listed through Ocado.
- The Ocado listing for the 290g product states 0.03g salt per 100g and describes the pack as three servings.
- Those details apply to the listed grapefruit segments, not to all M&S tinned fruit.
Fruit-in-juice selections on Joybuy
These tins are fruit packed in juice. Choose the fruit and can size you will use, then check each product’s salt label and drained weight where stated; the pack size alone does not tell you how much fruit remains after draining.
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Del Monte Pineapple Slices in Juice 435g
Choose this 435g tin if pineapple slices suit your planned portions. Check its salt figure per 100g and drained weight on the product label when comparing it with other tins.
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Del Monte Peach Halves in Juice 415g
These peach halves offer a different fruit and cut from the pineapple slices. The tin is 415g; use the drained-weight and salt figures on the label for a closer comparison.
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Princes Pineapple Chunks with Juice 432g
Choose the 432g chunks if you want cut pineapple rather than slices. Princes states 0.05g salt per 100g for its pineapple chunks in juice; check the exact can’s label and drained weight for your comparison.
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Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Juice 415g
This 415g fruit cocktail is an option when you want mixed fruit rather than one variety. Check its ingredients, salt per 100g and drained weight on the product label before comparing it with single-fruit tins.
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Del Monte Pear Halves in Juice 415g
These 415g pear halves give you another single-fruit choice packed in juice. If the amount after draining matters, check that figure alongside the salt per 100g on the exact tin.
Questions about tinned fruit
Do I need a “reduced salt” claim on tinned fruit?
No: compare the declared salt per 100g on the product you are buying. The NHS classifies 0.3g salt or less per 100g as low salt, so that figure is more useful for checking a particular tin than the search phrase alone.
Should I buy fruit in juice or syrup?
For a routine tinned-fruit choice, the NHS advises fruit in natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt. Syrup may suit a particular dessert or recipe; read the ingredients and nutrition panel rather than treating the two packing media as interchangeable.
How can I compare different can sizes?
Check drained weight where it is stated, because total can weight includes the liquid. Compare similar fruits and packing media if the amount of fruit you will use is your main concern.
Does tinned fruit count towards 5 A Day?
Yes. The NHS says 80g of canned fruit or vegetables counts as one portion, and advises choosing canned fruit in natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt.