Low-fat shoppers who also want less salt
If tomatoes are the base of a sauce, soup, stew or curry, compare the tin’s salt and fat per 100g separately. The salt added through stock, sauces or seasoning also matters to the finished dish.
Who should compare these tins?
People following a clinician-led fat limit
A tomato tin’s fat figure does not describe the finished meal. Check the amount used alongside cooking oil, dairy, meat and toppings, and follow the individual plan provided by your clinician or dietitian.
Cooks choosing plain or flavoured tomatoes
Plain tomatoes leave the seasoning to the recipe. If a herb-flavoured tin is more convenient, read its ingredients and nutrition panel separately: ASDA’s plain and Herbs versions, for example, have different declared salt figures.
What should you check on the label?
Start with fat for the tin and the full recipe, then compare salt per 100g and inspect any added ingredients. The Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland interviewed 611 people between 16 September and 23 November 2024 about general food-shopping labels; the label-use figures below do not measure demand for lower-salt tomatoes.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g, not a mixture of serving and per-100g figures. ASDA lists 0.01g per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes; Napolina lists 0.10g per 100g for its chopped tomatoes. | If I also want to reduce salt, I need to compare the tin separately from its fat figure and allow for salt added during cooking. |
| Fat | Read fat per 100g and account for the amount used. ASDA lists less than 0.5g per 100g for its plain tin; M&S lists 0.2g per 100g for Chopped Italian Tomatoes. Count other recipe ingredients separately. | A low-fat tomato base helps me assess the recipe, but it does not tell me how much fat is in the finished meal. |
| Ingredients | Compare plain and flavoured variants individually. ASDA’s plain tin lists tomatoes, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid; its Herbs tin also lists sugar, dried herbs and flavourings. | For a sauce I season myself, I would choose a plain base; for a flavoured tin, I would check whether its ingredients and salt fit the dish. |
| Label information | Read the nutrition panel on the exact pack. If using traffic-light labelling or a nutrition claim, check what it says about the nutrient you are comparing. | I want the salt and fat figures for the tin I am buying, not an assumption based on a claim. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey, 49% actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; 35% named nutritional claims on packs as their primary source of nutrition information. Those are different measures of general food shopping. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming low fat means low salt
Fat and salt vary independently. ASDA’s plain chopped tomatoes list less than 0.5g fat and 0.01g salt per 100g, while Napolina chopped tomatoes list 0.2g fat and 0.10g salt per 100g, according to their respective product information.
If both nutrients matter to your choice, compare each per-100g figure rather than treating one as a shortcut for the other.
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Comparing different serving sizes
Tesco lists 0.18g salt per half can of its 400g Italian Chopped Tomatoes. A half can is 200g, so that figure equates to 0.09g per 100g.
Put candidates on the same per-100g basis before comparing their declared salt.
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Treating flavoured and plain tins as equivalent
ASDA’s Herbs chopped tomatoes list 0.10g salt per 100g and include sugar, herbs and flavourings. Its plain chopped tomatoes list 0.01g salt per 100g.
Check the exact variant, then decide how much seasoning the rest of the recipe needs.
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Judging the meal by its tomato base
Cooking oil, cheese, cream, meat and toppings contribute fat that is not captured by the tomato tin’s nutrition panel.
Assess the ingredients and portions in the complete dish. If you have a clinician-led fat allowance, use the individual guidance given to you.
Brands and product lines to compare
These figures describe particular products, not every tin sold under each brand. Compare the exact variant and its current pack when choosing.
ASDA
ASDA’s plain and Herbs chopped tomatoes show why variants need separate nutrition and ingredient checks.
- ASDA lists 0.01g salt and less than 0.5g fat per 100g for its plain Chopped Tomatoes 400g.
- Its Herbs version lists 0.10g salt per 100g and includes sugar and flavourings; do not carry the plain tin’s figures across to it.
M&S
M&S lists standard and organic chopped Italian tomatoes with distinct nutrition figures.
- M&S Chopped Italian Tomatoes list 0.02g salt and 0.2g fat per 100g.
- M&S Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes list 0.03g salt and 0.1g fat per 100g; organic status alone does not establish a lower salt figure.
Tesco
Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes 400g provide an example of nutrition stated for a half-can serving.
- Tesco lists 0.18g salt and 0.4g fat per half can.
- For a like-for-like salt comparison, the half-can salt figure equates to 0.09g per 100g; do not compare 0.18g directly with another tin’s per-100g figure.
Napolina
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky and suited to thick sauces.
- Napolina’s product information lists 0.2g fat per 100g.
- It also lists 0.10g salt per 100g, so compare that figure if lower salt matters to the recipe.
Mutti
Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped tomato pulp for longer cooking.
- Mutti’s manufacturer page lists 0.2g fat per 100g for Polpa.
- The same page lists added salt and 0.30g salt per 100g. Confirm the figures on the exact UK retail pack before using them for a purchase decision.
Joybuy chopped-tomato options
These two multipacks offer different tomato textures for cooking. If keeping salt low is also important, compare their pack labels rather than choosing by texture alone.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
Consider this chunky chopped-tomato pack for a thick sauce if its texture suits your recipe. Napolina lists 0.2g fat and 0.10g salt per 100g for its chopped tomatoes; check the multipack’s label if salt is a deciding factor. Its opened-pack instructions call for refrigeration in a non-metallic container and use within two days.
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Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
Consider the finer texture for a longer-cooked sauce if that suits your recipe. Mutti’s Polpa manufacturer page lists added salt, 0.30g salt and 0.2g fat per 100g; check the exact UK pack’s ingredients and nutrition before relying on those figures, particularly if reducing salt is a priority.
Questions about salt, fat and storage
Do I need reduced-salt tomatoes for a low-fat meal?
Not on the basis of fat alone: salt and fat are separate figures. Check the fat in the complete recipe for a low-fat plan; if you also want to reduce salt, compare tins by salt per 100g and follow any individual advice from your clinician or dietitian.
How can I compare salt when labels use different servings?
Put the figures on the same per-100g basis. Tesco lists 0.18g salt per half can of its 400g Italian Chopped Tomatoes, equivalent to 0.09g per 100g; ASDA lists 0.01g per 100g for its plain Chopped Tomatoes. Check that you are comparing the intended variants.
Are plain tomatoes a better fit than herb-flavoured ones when I want less salt?
Compare the specific tins rather than assuming all flavoured versions have the same nutrition. ASDA’s plain Chopped Tomatoes list 0.01g salt per 100g, while its Herbs version lists 0.10g per 100g and includes sugar, herbs and flavourings. Plain tomatoes also let you choose the seasoning for the recipe.
Should I rely on a nutrition claim or traffic-light label?
Use it alongside the nutrition panel for the exact tin, particularly when comparing salt and fat per 100g. GOV.UK nutrition-labelling guidance says nutrition information must be declared on prepacked food; the pack gives you the figures to compare when a claim does not answer your specific question.
How long can opened tinned tomatoes be kept?
Follow the instructions on the particular pack. M&S says to move leftover Chopped Italian Tomatoes to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat within three days; its Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes give two days.