Shoppers comparing declared sugars
If the sugar figure guides your choice, compare the same per-100g measure across tins. A lower figure on a nutrition panel does not, by itself, establish a ‘reduced sugar’ claim.
Who should check the label closely?
Shoppers who need a specific delivery item
If a change of tomato format, ingredients or declared sugars would affect your order, decide whether to allow substitutions before checkout and inspect any alternative offered.
Cooks choosing a tomato texture
Finely chopped tomatoes suit a more even base, while chunky chopped or whole tomatoes leave more control over visible pieces and the finished texture.
What should you check before ordering?
Start with the per-100g label comparison, then check the format and whether a different tin would still work if your choice is unavailable.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Declared sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100g on current product labels. Read the ingredients separately; a low declared value is not proof of a ‘reduced sugar’ claim. | I want to compare tins on the same measure without overlooking a change in ingredients or tomato format. |
| Traffic-light labels | Where traffic-light information is shown, check its sugars indication alongside the per-100g nutrition declaration. The colours do not replace the figures needed to compare tins. | I find an at-a-glance label useful, but still want the sugar figure. In a 2024 Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey of 611 people interviewed in Northern Ireland between 16 September and 23 November, 49% reported actively using traffic-light labelling when shopping for food. |
| Substitutions | Check the retailer’s substitution setting before ordering. If an alternative arrives, compare its format, ingredients and sugars per 100g before accepting it. | A different tin may not work for my recipe or the label comparison I made. Sainsbury’s says it may offer substitutes unless asked not to; Tesco says shoppers who allow substitutions may be offered an alternative. |
| Tomato format | Check whether the tin contains finely chopped, chunky chopped or whole tomatoes. Decide whether the recipe calls for an even base or tomatoes you can crush or leave in pieces. | For a quick, even sauce I would look at finely chopped tomatoes; for more control over the pieces, I would consider whole plum tomatoes. |
What can go wrong with the choice?
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Calling every plain tin ‘reduced sugar’
Plain tomato products can carry different declared sugar values. A nutrition-panel figure is not itself a comparative product claim.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100g and read the ingredients on each tin you are considering.
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Assuming a labelled option can be delivered
Tesco Groceries listed 2.8g sugars per 100g for Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes, but its checked product page also showed the item as out of stock.
Confirm availability for your order and decide whether an alternative with different ingredients or a different sugar figure would be acceptable.
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Accepting a substitute without checking the tin
A substitute could have a different tomato format or nutrition declaration, changing the choice you made for a recipe.
Set your substitution preference before ordering. Sainsbury’s says substitutes may be refused at delivery; Tesco says an unwanted substitute can be given back to the driver or Click+Collect colleague for a refund.
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Choosing by sugar figure alone
Whole plum, chunky chopped and finely chopped tomatoes give you different starting textures, even when you compare them using the same nutrition measure.
Choose a format that works in the dish, then compare the per-100g sugar figures of suitable tins.
Which brands and product lines are relevant?
These product lines offer useful label and format comparisons; a brand’s inclusion does not establish availability for your delivery order.
M&S
M&S lists cherry and organic plum tomato products with per-100g nutrition information.
- Its Italian Cherry Tomatoes list 2.7g sugars per 100g; Organic Italian Plum Tomatoes list 3.29g per 100g, according to the respective M&S product pages.
- Check which format suits the recipe and whether the chosen product is available for your order.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label tinned tomatoes alongside branded chopped and plum options.
- Its Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes page lists 2.8g sugars per 100g and names tomato, tomato juice and citric acid as ingredients.
- That product page showed the item as out of stock; check availability before relying on it for a delivery order.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s tinned-tomato listing includes own-label chopped and plum tomatoes and several branded options.
- The listing lets shoppers consider different tomato formats for the same recipe.
- Sainsbury’s says unavailable groceries may be substituted unless the customer has asked otherwise, so check any alternative against the label you selected.
Napolina
Napolina offers chopped tomatoes in several pack formats, as well as flavoured variants.
- Napolina describes its standard chopped tomatoes as chunky; the brand lists 3.6g sugars per 100g for that product.
- Check flavoured variants individually rather than assuming they have the standard product’s ingredients or nutrition values.
Mutti
UK supermarket listings include Mutti finely chopped tomatoes alongside other tomato formats.
- Sainsbury’s describes Mutti Polpa as finely chopped tomato pulp in juice, a format to consider when a recipe calls for smaller pieces.
- Check the sugar declaration for the exact Mutti product and pack you plan to order before comparing it with another tin.
Tinned tomato options on Joybuy
These Joybuy options include finely chopped, chopped and whole peeled tomatoes. Compare the current labels and delivery choices for the tins that suit your recipe.
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Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes 4 × 400g
The finely chopped format is an option when you want smaller tomato pieces for a sauce. This pack contains four 400g tins; compare the current sugar declaration and ingredients before ordering.
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KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g
This 400g tin offers a chopped tomato format for dishes where you do not want to start with whole tomatoes. Check its current per-100g sugar figure, ingredients and delivery options when ordering.
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Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g
Consider this 400g peeled-tomato tin if you prefer to decide how much to break down the tomatoes while cooking. Compare the current pack label with other suitable whole-tomato options.
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KTC Peeled Plum Tomatoes 400g
The peeled plum format suits a recipe in which you want to crush the tomatoes yourself or leave larger pieces. This is a 400g tin; use its current nutrition panel for a per-100g comparison.
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Napolina Peeled Plum Tomatoes 4 × 400g
This four-pack provides peeled plum tomatoes for meals where a whole-tomato starting texture is useful. Compare the current sugar declaration and ingredients with other plum-tomato tins before choosing it.
Questions about labels and delivery
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean ‘reduced sugar’ on tinned tomatoes?
No. Tomatoes can have sugars in the nutrition declaration even when sugar is not listed as an ingredient, and a per-100g figure alone does not establish a comparative ‘reduced sugar’ claim. Read both the ingredients and the sugar declaration for the tin you intend to order.
What if my chosen tin is substituted?
Check the alternative’s format, ingredients and sugars per 100g before accepting it. Sainsbury’s says customers can ask not to receive substitutes and may refuse one at delivery; Tesco says an unwanted substitute can be handed back to the driver or Click+Collect colleague for a refund.
Does cherry, plum or chopped format determine the sugar figure?
No: compare the label of each product rather than relying on its format. M&S lists 2.7g sugars per 100g for Italian Cherry Tomatoes and 3.29g for Organic Italian Plum Tomatoes, while Napolina lists 3.6g for its standard Chopped Tomatoes. Choose a texture that works for the recipe, then compare the current per-100g declarations.