One- or two-person households
If you use only part of a 400g tin at a time, compare the label for the amount you cook with and check how to store the remainder.
Who is this for?
Cooks choosing a tomato base
If you want a lower declared sugars figure, compare it alongside the texture: finely chopped tomatoes and chunkier chopped tomatoes may suit different sauces.
What should you check?
Start with the sugars and salt figures on the same per-100g basis, then consider the tomato format and what you will do with an opened tin.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition label | Read sugars per 100g on the current pack, then account for the amount used. Traffic-light labelling is a separate aid, not a substitute for the figures. | I want to compare tins on the same basis rather than judge by front-of-pack wording. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey of 611 Northern Ireland adults, 49% actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; that figure does not describe tinned-tomato choices. |
| Sugars and ingredients | Compare declared sugars per 100g and read the ingredients list separately. A sugars figure alone does not tell you whether sugar is an ingredient. | A lower listed sugars value matters to me, but I do not want to mistake naturally occurring tomato sugars for proof of added sugar in another tin. |
| Salt | Check salt per 100g alongside sugars. Waitrose & Partners lists 0.30g salt for Mutti Polpa, while M&S Food lists 0.03g for M&S Organic Chopped Tomatoes. | If I am comparing those two 400g tomatoes, the difference in listed salt could affect which one I choose. |
| Texture | Check whether the tin contains finely chopped, standard chopped or whole plum tomatoes. Whole tomatoes may need breaking up for a smoother sauce. | For a quick sauce, I might choose finely chopped tomatoes; for a chunkier result, I would look at standard chopped tomatoes. |
| Leftovers | Check the pack size and its instructions for transferring, refrigerating and using opened contents. Follow the period on the specific product. | When one meal uses only part of a 400g tin, I need a plan for the remainder before opening it. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a sweet-sounding description means less sugar
The compared tins have different declared sugars figures; wording about flavour does not replace a per-100g comparison.
Read the sugars line on the tins you are considering, then check the ingredients and salt separately. Do not describe a tin as reduced sugar solely because its figure is lower than another product’s.
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Checking sugars but overlooking salt
Waitrose & Partners lists Mutti Polpa at 2.8g sugars and 0.30g salt per 100g. M&S Food lists its Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes at 3.4g sugars and 0.03g salt per 100g.
Compare both lines on the current labels before deciding which trade-off fits your priorities.
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Opening a 400g tin without a leftover plan
If a meal uses only some of the tin, the remainder needs to be handled according to that product’s opened-pack instructions. M&S Food specifies use within two days for its Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes, but gives three days for its standard Chopped Italian Tomatoes.
Transfer and refrigerate leftovers as directed on the chosen pack, and plan when to use them.
Unused tomatoes may go to waste if they cannot be used within the pack’s stated period.
Brand references
These label figures refer to the named products, not every tomato tin sold under each brand.
Mutti
Waitrose & Partners lists Mutti Polpa as finely chopped tomatoes for sauces and other cooking.
- The listed 400g product has 2.8g sugars per 100g.
- It also lists 0.30g salt per 100g, and its fine texture will not give the same result as chunky tomatoes.
Napolina
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky tomatoes in tomato juice.
- Its 400g chopped tomatoes list 3.6g sugars and 0.10g salt per 100g.
- A chunkier texture may need further breaking down if you want a smooth sauce.
M&S
M&S Food lists Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes in a 400g can.
- That product lists 3.4g sugars and 0.03g salt per 100g.
- Its opened-pack instructions call for refrigeration and use within two days.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists separate Italian Chopped Tomatoes and Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes products.
- The Italian Chopped Tomatoes list 4.0g sugars and 0.09g salt per 100g; Everyday Value lists 2.8g sugars and less than 0.01g salt per 100g.
- Check the name and nutrition panel of the particular tin: those figures belong to different products.
Joybuy tomato options
These options include single tins and multipacks of chopped, finely chopped and plum tomatoes. Compare the per-100g figures and choose a format you can use across your meals.
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KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g
A single 400g tin if you do not want a multipack. The product information lists 2.8g sugars and 0.09g salt per 100g; check the pack for its opened-tin storage instructions.
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Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
Finely chopped tomatoes for a sauce where that texture suits the recipe. The product information lists 2.8g sugars and 0.30g salt per 100g; this is a four-tin pack. Its opened-tin instructions say to refrigerate and use within five days, so check the current pack before storing leftovers.
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Napolina Peeled Plum Tomatoes 4 x 400g
Choose this format if whole peeled plum tomatoes suit your cooking rather than ready-chopped pieces. The product information lists 3.4g sugars and 0.13g salt per 100g; it instructs you to transfer, refrigerate and use opened contents within two days.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
A chunky chopped-tomato option when that texture suits your dish. The product information lists 3.6g sugars and 0.10g salt per 100g. For opened contents, it says to transfer to a non-metallic container, cover, refrigerate and use within two days.
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Laila Canned Plum Tomatoes 400g
A single tin of whole peeled plum tomatoes if you are happy to break them up for your recipe. The product information lists 3.8g sugars and 0.1g salt per 100g; it instructs you to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic airtight container, refrigerate and use within two days.
Questions about tinned tomatoes
Does a lower sugars figure tell me whether sugar was added?
No. The nutrition panel gives total sugars, while the ingredients list is where you check for sugar as an ingredient. Compare the per-100g figures without assuming that a tin with a higher figure contains added sugar.
Are the compared tinned tomatoes sugar-free?
No: the Mutti Polpa, M&S Organic, Napolina Chopped and Tesco Italian Chopped products listed by Waitrose & Partners, M&S Food, Napolina and Tesco Groceries declare between 2.8g and 4.0g sugars per 100g. Check the current label of any other tin rather than assuming it has the same figure.
How should I store tomatoes left from an opened tin?
Follow that tin’s instructions for transferring and refrigerating the remainder. M&S Food specifies use within two days for its Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes but three days for its standard Chopped Italian Tomatoes, so do not assume one period applies to every product.
Which texture suits a small-batch sauce?
Finely chopped tomatoes such as Mutti Polpa suit a sauce where you want smaller pieces from the tin. Napolina describes its standard chopped tomatoes as chunky; choose that format if you want pieces to remain, or allow for breaking them down yourself.
How much canned tomato counts as a 5 A Day portion?
The NHS states that 80g of canned vegetables counts as one 5 A Day portion. If you use part of a tin, measure the amount used rather than counting the whole tin as one portion.