Bonfire Night batch cooks
If you are making a shared chilli, soup, stew or sauce, a plain tomato base lets you decide how to season it alongside stock, cheese, sausages or other ingredients.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing plain supermarket tins
Salt declarations differ between specific own-label chopped tomatoes. Comparing per 100g gives you a common basis without assuming that tins with similar names have identical nutrition.
Cooks weighing up convenience and texture
A flavoured tin may reduce preparation, while a finely chopped product offers a different texture from chunky tomatoes. Check the exact variant’s nutrition panel as well as its cut.
What to check before choosing
Start with the salt line on the exact tin, then choose the texture and format that fit the dish you are cooking.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt in the dish | Compare declared salt per 100g on similar tins. Consider stock, sauces, cheese and toppings when seasoning the finished dish. | I’m making a shared chilli or stew and want to decide how much seasoning to add once the other ingredients are in. |
| Plain or flavoured | Read the nutrition panel for the exact variant. Napolina declares 0.10g salt per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes and 0.20g per 100g for Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs, according to Napolina’s product information. | A seasoned tin would save me a step, but I want to know how its salt declaration compares with the plain version. |
| Sauce texture | Check whether the tomatoes are chunky chopped, finely chopped or whole peeled. Napolina describes its plain chopped tomatoes as chunky; Mutti describes Polpa as finely chopped. | For a sauce with tomato pieces, I’d choose a chunky cut. For a more uniform base, I’d consider finely chopped tomatoes. |
| Pack and leftovers | Choose a tin or multipack format for the amount you plan to cook. Follow the storage and use-after-opening instructions on the pack you buy. | If I’m cooking a large batch, I need enough tomatoes for the recipe and a plan for any opened contents left over. |
Common shopping mistakes
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Choosing by descriptive wording alone
Words such as ‘Italian’ or ‘chunky’ describe origin or texture, not the salt figure. ASDA Groceries declares 0.01g salt per 100g for ASDA Chopped Tomatoes, while Mutti declares 0.30g per 100g for its finely chopped Polpa; these figures apply to those specific products.
Compare the salt line per 100g on the exact product, then decide whether its cut suits your recipe.
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Assuming a herbs variant matches the plain tin
Napolina declares 0.10g salt per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes and 0.20g per 100g for Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs.
Check the variant’s own panel before deciding how to season the rest of the dish.
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Checking the tomatoes but not the whole recipe
A chilli or stew can also contain stock, sauces, cured meat, cheese or toppings. The tin’s declaration does not describe the finished meal.
Consider those ingredients together and taste the dish before adding final seasoning.
Brand and product-line references
These examples describe particular tomato products, not every tin sold under each brand; check the current label for the one you buy.
ASDA
ASDA Chopped Tomatoes 400g is a plain chopped-tomato option with tomatoes and concentrated tomato juice listed as ingredients.
- ASDA Groceries declares 0.01g salt per 100g for this product.
- That declaration should not be applied to other ASDA tomato products; check the current tin.
M&S
M&S Chopped Italian Tomatoes lists Italian chopped tomatoes, tomato juice and citric acid.
- Marks & Spencer declares 0.02g salt per 100g for this product.
- Check the current UK pack label if the product recipe has changed.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Chopped Tomatoes Can 400g is another plain chopped-tomato reference for comparing labels.
- Sainsbury’s declares 0.07g salt per 100g for this specific tin.
- Ingredients and nutrition can change, so use the current product label.
Napolina
Napolina describes its plain chopped tomatoes as chunky and suited to thick sauces; it also sells a herbs variant.
- Napolina declares 0.10g salt per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes.
- Its Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs declares 0.20g per 100g, so compare variants individually.
Mutti
Mutti Polpa is a finely chopped tomato product for recipes where a more uniform texture is wanted.
- Its fine cut offers a different starting texture from chunky chopped tomatoes.
- Mutti lists tomato and salt for Polpa and declares 0.30g salt per 100g; do not apply that figure to other Mutti products.
Joybuy tomato options
These options include chopped tomatoes for chilli, soup or stew and one whole peeled tin that you can crush or blend when a recipe calls for a different texture.
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Laila Chopped Tomatoes 12 x 400g
The 12 x 400g format is worth considering for a batch chilli or stew. The listing declares 0.03g salt per 100g; check the current pack label when planning seasoning.
For opened contents, the listing instructs you to transfer them to a non-metallic airtight container, refrigerate and use within two days.
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Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g
These are whole peeled tomatoes rather than chopped tomatoes: crush or blend them if your stew or sauce needs smaller pieces. The listing declares 0.01g salt per 100g for this product, which is distinct from Mutti Polpa.
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Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g
This multipack offers chunky chopped tomatoes for a sauce or shared batch meal. Napolina declares 0.10g salt per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes; compare the current label with other ingredients you plan to use.
The listing says to transfer opened contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within two days.
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KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g
This 400g chopped-tomato tin is a plain base for a soup, stew or sauce. The listing declares 0.09g salt per 100g; use the current label when comparing it with other tins.
Questions about tinned tomatoes
How do I compare tomatoes for a Bonfire Night chilli?
Compare the exact products’ declared salt per 100g, preferably between similar plain chopped tins, and then account for the other ingredients in your chilli. ASDA Groceries declares 0.01g per 100g for ASDA Chopped Tomatoes, while Napolina declares 0.10g per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes; neither figure describes an entire brand range.
Should I rule out flavoured chopped tomatoes?
No; choose one if its flavour suits the recipe, but read that variant’s own nutrition panel. Napolina declares 0.20g salt per 100g for Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs, compared with 0.10g per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes.
Does the adult daily salt recommendation set a limit for one tin?
No. Food Standards Agency and GOV.UK guidance dated June 2026 states that the UK Government recommends no more than 6g of salt per day for adults; it is a daily figure, not a limit for a single tin or meal.
What should I do with opened tinned tomatoes?
Follow the storage instructions on the product you opened. For example, the Joybuy listing for Napolina Chopped Tomatoes says to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, cover, refrigerate and consume within two days; check your own tin for its applicable instructions.