For a single-portion meal, compare plain tinned tomatoes by the declared ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100g and the ingredients, then choose a texture that suits the recipe. In the selected UK 400g plain chopped-tomato comparison, Mutti Polpa has the lowest declared total sugars at 2.8g per 100g, but it also declares 0.30g salt per 100g; a lower total-sugars figure does not establish a formal reduced-sugar claim or measure free sugars. If you use half a tin, check its instructions for storing the remainder.
If a 400g tin covers more than one meal, the storage instructions matter alongside the nutrition label. Sainsbury’s describes its 400g chopped tomatoes as two servings and instructs shoppers to refrigerate transferred leftovers and use them within two days.
The ‘of which sugars’ figure is total sugars. The NHS explains that it includes sugars naturally present in fruit and vegetables, which are not counted as free sugars. Check the ingredients rather than treating that figure as proof of added sugar.
Finely chopped and standard chopped tomatoes offer different textures for a quick sauce. Choose the format for the meal, then compare the exact products’ nutrition panels; a texture preference does not settle the sugars comparison.
Start with comparable per-100g labels, then consider how much of the tin you will use and what you will do with the rest.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Declared sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100g for the exact products. ASDA Groceries lists 2.8g for Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 400g and 3.8g for ASDA Chopped Tomatoes 400g; Sainsbury’s lists 3.5g and Tesco lists 4.0g for their selected 400g chopped tins. | I want to compare plain tins on the same basis before deciding how much to cook. A lower total-sugars number alone does not tell me how much sugar was added. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list for the exact tin or flavoured variant. The NHS distinguishes total sugars from free sugars; the nutrition panel does not measure them separately. | If avoiding an added sugar ingredient matters to me, I need to check the list rather than infer it from the total-sugars figure or ‘naturally sweet’ wording. |
| Amount used | Check whether the label gives values per 100g, per serving or both. Half of a 400g tin is 200g, but the amount in your recipe may differ from a suggested serving. | For one meal, I may use only part of a tin. I can use the per-100g figure and the amount I actually cook to understand that portion. |
| Salt and texture | Compare salt per 100g as well as sugars, and distinguish finely chopped from standard chopped tomatoes. ASDA Groceries lists 0.30g salt per 100g for the selected Mutti Polpa and 0.01g for its own-label chopped tin. | A finer sauce base might suit my recipe, but I do not want one nutrition figure to obscure another difference between the tins. |
| Leftovers | Read the exact tin’s post-opening instructions. The selected Sainsbury’s product specifies two days after transfer and refrigeration; ASDA’s selected chopped tomatoes specify four days. | Will I use the remaining tomato within the period on the pack? If not, I need a plan for the second portion before opening a 400g tin. |
The NHS says sugars naturally present in fruit and vegetables appear in total sugars but are not free sugars. The total alone therefore cannot show whether sugar was added to a tin of tomatoes.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100g, then read that product’s ingredient list for a separate check on added ingredients.
A half-can value describes a different amount of food from a per-100g value, so it cannot serve as a like-for-like product comparison.
Compare tins per 100g first. Then use the amount going into your meal to interpret the portion you will actually eat.
Using half now leaves half to store, and post-opening periods differ between the selected products. Food Standards Scotland advises checking the label for refrigeration and open-life instructions.
Transfer the remainder to a suitable container, refrigerate it and follow the period on the exact pack. Plan another use for it within that period.
Napolina offers garlic, herb and chilli variants as well as standard chopped tomatoes. Their ingredients and nutrition cannot be assumed from the plain product’s figures.
Check the variant’s own sugars and salt per 100g, ingredients, pack size and storage instructions.
These figures describe the specified products, not every tin sold under each brand.
Polpa is a finely chopped option for a smoother-textured tomato base.
Its standard chopped tomatoes and flavoured variants offer different recipe options.
Its Italian Chopped Tomatoes 400g provide a plain chopped-tomato comparison point.
Its Chopped Tomatoes Can 400g is another plain-tin option for comparing a one-person meal.
ASDA Chopped Tomatoes 400g is a plain own-label option.
Its Chopped Italian Tomatoes 400g add another plain chopped format to a label comparison.
These options include chopped, finely chopped and whole tomatoes in single tins and multipacks. Choose the texture and pack format for your meals, then check the current label when comparing sugars or planning leftovers.
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The finely chopped format suits a recipe calling for a finer tomato base. Each tin is 400g; if one meal uses only part of a tin, check the current pack’s refrigeration and use-by-after-opening instructions for the remainder.
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This single tin offers peeled tomatoes rather than a chopped base. If the recipe needs a finer texture, plan to crush or blend them; check the tin’s own nutrition and leftover instructions rather than applying figures from a chopped product.
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Four separate 400g tins provide a chopped-tomato base for meals made at different times. Check the current pack for its per-tin portion information and for instructions on storing any contents left after opening one tin.
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This single 400g tin contains plum tomatoes, a different format from chopped tomatoes. Allow for crushing if the meal needs a finer base, and follow the pack’s instructions when refrigerating an unused portion.
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This four-tin pack suits meals that call for peeled plum tomatoes rather than a ready-chopped texture. Each tin is 400g; compare its own label with other formats and follow its instructions for any opened-tin leftovers.
No: that figure measures total sugars, not added sugar alone. The NHS says naturally occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables are included in the total but are not free sugars. Compare the per-100g figure for total sugars and check the exact product’s ingredients separately.
No. The NHS describes 5g or less total sugars per 100g as low in sugars; that threshold does not establish a reduced-sugar claim. The selected plain 400g chopped and finely chopped products listed by ASDA Groceries, Sainsbury’s and Tesco range from 2.8g to 4.0g per 100g, but their figures should be read as total-sugars comparisons.
Half a 400g tin is 200g, and the selected Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA product information presents a half-can or two-serving use. That is a serving guide, not a rule for every meal: use the amount your recipe calls for when interpreting its nutrition figures.
Transfer them from the opened tin to a suitable container, refrigerate them and follow that product’s open-life instruction. The selected Sainsbury’s tin specifies use within two days, while the selected ASDA tin specifies four days; Food Standards Scotland advises checking the label rather than assuming one period applies to every product.