For a Christmas dinner sauce or make-ahead dish, compare the “of which sugars” value per 100g and choose a texture that fits the recipe; a lower figure alone does not establish a “reduced sugar” claim. Mutti lists 2.8g sugars per 100g for its finely chopped tomatoes, while Sainsbury’s lists 3.5g and Napolina lists 3.6g for their chopped tomatoes. Mutti’s finer pulp may suit a more even, long-cooked base, but its listed salt is 0.30g per 100g, so check both figures if salt matters to you.
If you are making a tomato sauce, vegetable side or make-ahead dish, compare the listed sugars per 100g across tins. That tells you more about the label values than a flavour description or an unsubstantiated “reduced sugar” assumption.
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky and suited to thick sauces. Mutti describes its finer pulp as suited to long cooking and oven use. Choose according to the finish your recipe needs.
Per-100g labels let you compare both figures on the same basis. Mutti lists 2.8g sugars and 0.30g salt per 100g; Asda lists 3.8g sugars and 0.01g salt per 100g, so the lower sugars figure does not also mean lower listed salt.
Start with the per-100g nutrition panel, then check ingredients, texture and the quantity you will use for the dish.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Listed sugars | Compare “of which sugars” per 100g, not unlike portion sizes. Mutti lists 2.8g, Sainsbury’s 3.5g and Napolina 3.6g per 100g for the products described here. | I want to compare tins on the same basis for my Christmas dish, without treating a smaller number as a “reduced sugar” claim. |
| Ingredients and wording | Read the ingredient list and distinguish a flavour description from a comparative nutrition claim. The listed values describe total sugars, not whether a product qualifies for “reduced sugar” wording. | If a tin sounds sweeter or less sweet, I still want to know what its current label actually says. |
| Texture | Check whether the tomatoes are described as chunky chopped pieces or finely chopped pulp. Napolina positions its chunky tomatoes for thick sauces; Mutti positions its fine pulp for long cooking. | For a rustic sauce, visible pieces may suit me. For a more even make-ahead base, I may prefer finer pulp. |
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g alongside sugars. Mutti lists 0.30g salt per 100g, while Asda lists 0.01g for the products described here. | Sugar is not my only label consideration, particularly when I am choosing tomatoes for a larger dish. |
| Pack and current label | Check the number of 400g tins against your recipe and storage plans. Read the ingredient, nutrition and storage information on the cans you buy. | A multipack is useful only if I can use the quantity, and I want the figures and instructions for the cans in hand. |
A flavour description does not establish a substantiated comparison with another product. It could make a small difference between label values sound more significant than it is.
Use the per-100g sugars figure to compare tins, and do not assume that a lower figure makes either tin a “reduced sugar” product.
A half-can figure and a per-100g figure do not describe the same quantity of food, so placing them side by side can distort the comparison.
Line up the “of which sugars” and salt values per 100g before considering texture or pack size.
Mutti’s listed 2.8g sugars per 100g comes with 0.30g salt per 100g; Asda lists 3.8g sugars and 0.01g salt per 100g. The tomatoes also differ in how finely they are chopped.
Check salt separately, then choose a texture that suits the sauce or side dish you plan to make.
Ingredients and nutrition information can change, making an earlier online description a poor substitute for the product in hand.
At purchase, read the can’s ingredients, “of which sugars”, salt, allergen and storage information.
These label values and descriptions concern the named tomato products, not every product made by each brand.
Mutti Polpa is a finely chopped tomato option for a more even sauce base.
Napolina’s standard chopped tomatoes are described by the brand as chunky and suited to thick sauces.
Sainsbury’s Chopped Tomatoes Can 400g is a tomato-in-juice option for comparing standard-tin labels.
Asda Chopped Tomatoes 400g offer a different balance of the two listed nutrition figures.
M&S Chopped Italian Tomatoes 400g are described as packed in tomato juice.
Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes come in a 4 x 400g pack that may suit a recipe needing several tins.
These chopped and finely chopped tomato tins offer different pack quantities for a Christmas dinner sauce, side dish or make-ahead recipe. Compare the current can labels for sugars and salt before choosing.
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A single 400G tin to consider when your recipe calls for chopped tomatoes. Compare the sugars and salt figures on its current label with other tins.
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Four tins of finely chopped tomatoes for a recipe needing a more even tomato base. Mutti describes its Polpa as suited to long cooking; its published product information lists 2.8g sugars and 0.30g salt per 100g. Check the figures on this pack before buying.
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Four tins of the chopped tomatoes Napolina describes as chunky and suited to thick sauces. Napolina lists 3.6g sugars and 0.10g salt per 100g for its standard product; check this pack’s current label.
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A 24-tin pack of Napolina chopped tomatoes for cooking that calls for this quantity. The brand describes its standard chopped tomatoes as chunky and suited to thick sauces; check the pack’s current nutrition information and whether you will use all 24 tins.
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A 12-tin chopped-tomato pack to consider if the quantity suits your planned cooking. Read the current cans for per-100g sugars, salt and storage directions.
No. A lower per-100g figure lets you compare the listed sugars in two tins, but it does not by itself substantiate a “reduced sugar” claim against a similar product. Treat a difference such as 3.5g versus 3.6g per 100g as a label difference, not a claim about reduced sugar.
Compare “of which sugars” per 100g on each current label. As the NHS explains, packaged-food nutrition information is given per 100g or 100ml, sometimes alongside a portion figure; a half-can value should not be compared directly with another tin’s per-100g value.
Mutti lists 2.8g sugars per 100g for its finely chopped tomatoes, compared with 3.5g for Sainsbury’s Chopped Tomatoes and 3.6g for Napolina Chopped Tomatoes. These are figures for the named products, not a comparison of every tinned tomato or evidence that any one has a substantiated “reduced sugar” claim.
Choose according to the finish you want: Napolina describes its chunky chopped tomatoes as suited to thick sauces, while Mutti describes its finer pulp as suited to long cooking and oven use. Check the sugars and salt figures separately; texture does not establish a nutrition advantage.
Follow the instructions on the tin you buy. Joybuy’s Napolina product information says to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container, cover and refrigerate them, and use them within 2 days; do not assume the same time limit applies to another product.