Bakers comparing the salt in tomato tins
If your savoury loaf uses tinned tomatoes, compare the salt declared for the tomato ingredient while following your bread recipe’s separate instructions for salt and liquid.
Who is this for?
Bakers following a specific tomato format
A recipe calling for chopped tomatoes, finely chopped pulp, passata or purée may require a different texture and amount of liquid. Start with the form it specifies rather than assuming the tins are interchangeable.
Occasional bakers planning for leftovers
If you bake tomato bread infrequently, consider the pack size alongside the tin’s instructions for storing and using any opened contents.
What should you check?
Start with the tomato form in your recipe, then compare salt per 100g and check whether the pack and storage instructions suit how you will use it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Declared salt | Compare salt per 100g on the current tin, including how the nutrition figures are presented. ASDA Groceries lists 0.01g per 100g for each of its two checked chopped-tomato tins, with nutrition presented after hob heating. The NHS describes 0.3g of salt or less per 100g as low. | I want the tomato ingredient to contribute as little declared salt as possible, without assuming that this changes the salt specified in my bread recipe. |
| Tomato form | Check whether the recipe calls for chopped pieces, fine pulp, passata or purée, and follow its liquid instructions. Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky; Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped. | If the dough needs a smooth tomato liquid, I should not substitute a tin of chunky tomatoes without a recipe-specific method. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list for added salt or flavourings. The checked ASDA, Sainsbury's and Tesco chopped-tomato lists contain tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid; Mutti lists added salt in its Polpa. | My recipe already specifies its seasoning, so I want to know what else the tomato tin will add. |
| Pack and storage | Compare the number of tins with your planned use. Follow the selected tin’s opened-storage instructions: ASDA Groceries specifies 3 or 4 days for its checked products, while Sainsbury's specifies 2 days for its checked multipack. | A multipack makes sense for me only if I can use the tins; I also need a plan for any tomatoes left after baking. |
What can catch you out?
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Assuming plain tins all contain the same amount of salt
The checked product labels declare different amounts per 100g. A “reduced salt” label is not necessary to make a comparison.
Read the current salt-per-100g figure and choose a tomato form that also fits your recipe.
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Swapping chopped tomatoes for passata or purée without checking
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky, while Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped. Those forms may not give a recipe the tomato texture or liquid it expects.
Use the stated format, or follow a recipe that gives instructions for the substitution.
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Choosing a flavoured tin for a recipe written for plain tomatoes
Added flavourings or salt can change the ingredients going into a loaf that already has its own seasoning list.
Check the ingredient list against the recipe before choosing a flavoured variant.
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Leaving opened tomatoes in the can
The checked ASDA and Sainsbury's products instruct shoppers to transfer unused contents to a suitable non-metallic container and refrigerate them; their use-within periods differ.
Follow the storage instructions and timeframe on the tin you open.
Relevant brand and retailer references
These references describe specific checked tomato products, not every tin sold under each name.
Asda
ASDA Groceries lists two plain 400g chopped-tomato products: ASDA Chopped Tomatoes and Just Essentials by ASDA Chopped Tomatoes.
- Each checked label declares 0.01g salt per 100g.
- ASDA presents their nutrition information after hob heating; check the label basis when comparing tins.
Sainsbury's
Its checked Italian Chopped Tomatoes come as a 4 × 400g multipack.
- Sainsbury's declares 0.07g salt per 100g and lists tomatoes, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid.
- Its instructions say to refrigerate transferred leftovers and use them within 2 days of opening.
Tesco
Tesco lists Italian Chopped Tomatoes in a 4 × 400g format.
- The checked Tesco label declares 0.09g salt per 100g and lists tomatoes, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid.
- Its declared salt figure is above those on the checked ASDA and Sainsbury's labels; check the current tin before comparing.
Napolina
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes in tomato juice as chunky.
- Napolina lists 0.10g salt per 100g for the checked chopped-tomato product.
- Check that a chunky form fits a recipe calling for a particular tomato texture.
Mutti
Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped tomato pulp.
- The fine form gives bakers an option when a recipe specifically calls for tomato pulp.
- Mutti lists added salt and declares 0.30g salt per 100g for Polpa, at the NHS low-salt guide threshold rather than at the lowest figure among the checked products.
M&S
M&S describes its Chopped Italian Tomatoes as preserved in tomato juice.
- It is a chopped-tomato format to consider where a recipe calls for one.
- Check the current salt-per-100g declaration on the product before comparing it for this purpose.
Joybuy tomato options
These options include chopped tomatoes in multipacks and a single tin of whole peeled tomatoes. Start with the form specified by your bread recipe, then check the current tin’s salt declaration.
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Laila Canned Chopped Tomatoes 12 × 400g
For a bread recipe calling for chopped tomatoes, consider whether a 12 × 400g pack fits how often you will use them. Check salt per 100g on the current tins before making a reduced-salt comparison.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 × 400g
Consider this four-tin pack when your recipe calls for chopped tomatoes and can accommodate the chunky texture Napolina describes. Napolina declares 0.10g salt per 100g for its checked chopped tomatoes; confirm the figure on the current pack.
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Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g
This 400g tin contains peeled tomatoes rather than chopped tomatoes. If your bread recipe calls for a different form, use it only where the recipe provides a suitable preparation or substitution method; check the tin’s salt declaration separately.
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Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 4 × 400g
This four-tin pack is a different texture choice for a recipe calling for finely chopped tomato pulp. Mutti lists added salt and declares 0.30g salt per 100g for Polpa; check the current pack if minimising the tomato ingredient’s salt is your priority.
Common questions
Does a tomato tin have to say “reduced salt” for tomato bread?
No. Compare the declared salt per 100g on the current nutrition label instead of relying on the wording on the front. The NHS guide describes 0.3g of salt or less per 100g as low; the two checked ASDA chopped-tomato labels each declare 0.01g per 100g, with nutrition presented after hob heating.
Can I use chopped tomatoes instead of passata or purée in bread dough?
Use the form specified by the recipe unless it gives a substitution method. Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky, while Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped; neither description makes it a like-for-like replacement for the liquid or texture a passata or purée recipe expects.
Should I change the bread recipe’s salt if I choose a lower-salt tin?
Not automatically. The salt declared for the tomatoes and the salt specified for the dough are separate ingredients to account for. Follow the recipe’s quantities unless it provides a method for changing them.
How should I keep leftover tinned tomatoes?
Follow the storage instructions on the tin you opened. ASDA Groceries and Sainsbury's instruct shoppers to transfer the checked products’ unused contents to a suitable non-metallic container and refrigerate them; the checked ASDA products specify use within 3 or 4 days, and the checked Sainsbury's product within 2 days.
Which nutrition figure should I compare across pack sizes?
Compare salt per 100g, then check the tomato format and ingredients. The NHS explains that nutrition information is given per 100g or 100ml and sometimes per portion; a per-100g figure lets you compare tomato tins without treating different serving suggestions as the same measure.