Older shoppers comparing everyday staples
If tinned tomatoes are a regular base for sauces, soups or stews, the salt declaration helps you choose a tin that fits the way you cook.
Who is this for?
Family or carers shopping to a salt-reduction plan
When buying for someone with an individual plan, check the exact product’s salt figure, ingredients and pack size rather than relying on a broad label claim.
Cooks choosing a convenient tomato base
Chopped tomatoes can go straight into many cooked dishes. Whole peeled tomatoes are another option if the recipe allows time to crush or blend them.
What should you check?
Start with the nutrition panel for a like-for-like comparison, then check the ingredients, the amount you will use and the tomato format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt figure | Compare salt per 100g on the exact tins. Then use the quantity going into the dish to judge its contribution. | I want to compare differently sized tins fairly, not choose a smaller tin just because its whole-can figure is lower. |
| Added salt | Read any no-added-salt statement alongside the ingredients and nutrition panel. Ocado lists Biona and Mr Organic chopped tomatoes at 0.03g salt per 100g despite their no-added-salt descriptions. | If avoiding salt added during manufacture matters, I need to check the claim without assuming the finished tomatoes contain zero salt. |
| Recipe quantity | Check the can size and any serving declaration. Account for other ingredients and seasoning in the finished dish. | For a sauce used over several meals, I want to know how much tomato goes into each portion. |
| Tomato format | Choose chopped or whole peeled tomatoes to suit the recipe; check seasoned variants separately from plain ones. | Chopped tomatoes suit the preparation I have in mind, while I can use whole peeled tomatoes if I am willing to crush them. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added salt” as “salt-free”
Ocado lists both Biona and Mr Organic no-added-salt chopped tomatoes at 0.03g salt per 100g.
Use the claim to check whether salt was added, then use the nutrition panel for the amount in the finished product.
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Comparing whole tins of different sizes
ASDA lists Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 227g at 0.10g salt per 100g and 0.23g for the tin. A whole-tin figure reflects pack size as well as salt concentration.
Compare per 100g first, then work out the amount used in your recipe.
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Checking the tin but overlooking seasoning
The NHS notes that total salt intake includes salt already in food and salt added during or after cooking.
Account for other sauce ingredients and taste the finished dish before adding seasoning.
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Using a range label to judge an individual tin
Plain, seasoned, chopped and whole-tomato products can have different ingredients and nutrition declarations.
Read the label of the exact tin, particularly when switching to a flavoured or seasoned variant.
Brand references
These references concern particular tomato products or ranges, not every tin made or sold under each name.
Napolina
A chopped-tomato option listed by UK supermarkets.
- ASDA lists Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 227g with tomatoes and citric acid as ingredients and 0.10g salt per 100g.
- The checked 227g tin is not described as no-added-salt; compare both per 100g and the quantity needed for your recipe.
Mutti
Its finely chopped Polpa and whole peeled tomatoes are different products, so their labels should not be treated as interchangeable.
- Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped for dishes including sauces and stews.
- Mutti’s Polpa manufacturer page says salt is added and lists 0.30g per 100g. Confirm the declaration on the exact UK pack.
Biona
An organic chopped-tomato option described as having no added salt.
- Ocado lists Biona Organic Chopped Peeled Tomatoes at 0.03g salt per 100g.
- No added salt does not mean zero salt; check the nutrition panel for the amount you intend to use.
Mr Organic
An organic Italian chopped-tomato option described as having no added salt or sugar.
- Ocado lists Italian chopped tomatoes and tomato juice as ingredients, with 0.03g salt per 100g.
- Check the exact pack and recipe quantity rather than treating the no-added-salt wording as a zero-salt figure.
M&S
Offers own-label tinned tomatoes, including organic chopped tomatoes packed in tomato juice.
- The M&S product description identifies its Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes as a cooking ingredient packed in tomato juice.
- An Eat Well marker does not give the salt figure for the particular tin; use its nutrition label for that comparison.
Tesco
Its chopped-tomato range includes own-label and branded choices.
- Tesco’s range listing includes Italian chopped and finely chopped own-label tomatoes alongside branded options.
- Compare the ingredients and salt per 100g of the specific product rather than applying one range-wide figure.
Tinned tomatoes on Joybuy
These options include plain chopped tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes that can be used in cooked dishes. Check the format as well as the salt figure: a whole tomato may need crushing for a recipe that calls for chopped tomatoes.
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Laila Canned Chopped Tomatoes 12 x 400g
A 12-tin chopped-tomato pack for dishes such as sauces, soups and stews. The listing states 0.03g salt per 100g and lists tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid as ingredients.
If avoiding added salt is essential, check the pack for an explicit claim; calculate the salt contribution from the amount used.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 6 x 400g
A six-tin pack of chopped tomatoes for cooked dishes. The listing states 0.10g salt per 100g, gives a figure per half-can and lists tomatoes and citric acid as ingredients.
Check the pack if an explicit no-added-salt claim matters to your purchase.
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Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g
Whole peeled tomatoes for a sauce or stew where they can be crushed or blended. The listing states 0.01g salt per 100g and lists peeled tomatoes and tomato juice as ingredients.
This is not the finely chopped Mutti Polpa product; check the format your recipe needs.
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Napolina Peeled Plum Tomatoes 4 x 400g
Four tins of whole peeled plum tomatoes for recipes that allow them to be crushed or blended. The listing states 0.13g salt per 100g, provides a per-half-can figure and lists tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid as ingredients.
Use the chopped-tomato options instead if you do not want to prepare whole tomatoes.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
A four-tin chopped-tomato pack for dishes such as sauces and soups. The listing states 0.10g salt per 100g and lists tomatoes and citric acid as ingredients.
Work out the salt contribution from the quantity used, and check the pack if an explicit no-added-salt claim is important.
Questions about choosing tinned tomatoes
How do I compare salt in tins of different sizes?
Compare the declared salt per 100g first, then consider how much of the tin will go into the meal. A whole-can figure alone can make a smaller tin appear preferable even when its per-100g figure is higher.
Does “no added salt” mean there is no salt in the tomatoes?
No. Ocado describes Biona and Mr Organic chopped tomatoes as having no added salt, but lists each at 0.03g salt per 100g. Read the nutrition panel when the amount matters.
Does an Eat Well marker identify the lower-salt tin?
Not on its own. A broad product marker does not replace a comparison of the salt figures on the exact tins you are considering.
What if I am shopping for someone with an individual salt-reduction plan?
Use the product’s nutrition panel to compare tins, but follow that person’s clinician or dietitian instructions when deciding what fits their plan. The NHS notes that salt already in food and salt added during cooking both contribute to the daily total.