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Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese: nutrition, salt and what the label does not tell you
A standard serving of Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese (88g) contains 40 kcal, 0.61g of salt and 4.93g of sugar. It is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food under the NOVA food processing system.
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Salt, sugar and UPF level by serving
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Nutrition by serving
Nutrition by serving: Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese
Serving
Calories
Salt
Sugar
= teaspoons
Protein
Quarter-jar serving (88g)
40 kcal
0.61g
4.93g
1.2 tsp
1.14g
Half-jar serving (125g)
58 kcal
0.86g
7g
1.8 tsp
1.63g
Half-jar serving (175g)
81 kcal
1.21g
9.8g
2.5 tsp
2.28g
Salt highlighted in amber above 15% of adult daily limit (6g), red above 33%. Sugar highlighted similarly against 30g adult daily free sugar limit. Teaspoons calculated at 4g per teaspoon (level teaspoon of granulated sugar).
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese contains 46 kcal, 0.6g of fat (0.1g saturated), 8.1g of carbohydrate (5.6g sugar), 1.3g of protein and 0.69g of salt per 100g.
Dolmio Original Bolognese Sauce contains added sugar (listed as the 5th ingredient) alongside modified maize starch. A half-jar serving (175g) delivers 5.6g of sugar — entirely from a mix of natural tomato sugars and the listed added sugar. At 5.6g sugar per 100g it sits in the moderate range for pasta sauces. Nutrition from the official Dolmio UK product label.
NOVA food processing classification
NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food
Modified maize starch (thickener), acidity regulator, natural flavouring — industrial additives not present in home-made tomato sauce.
The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of processing. NOVA 4 covers products that contain industrial additives not typically used in home cooking — stabilisers, flavour enhancers, modified starches, acidity regulators and similar.
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food under the NOVA food processing system.
The following industrial additives are present in its ingredient list: modified maize starch, flavouring, acidity regulator. These ingredients are not present in a home-made equivalent of this sauce — they are used to achieve a consistent texture, extended shelf life, and flavour stability at industrial scale.
NOVA 4 classification does not automatically mean a food is harmful. The NHS Eatwell Guide does not use NOVA classifications, and processed convenience foods can form part of a balanced diet. The significance of the NOVA classification is that it gives a shorthand for identifying foods that have been engineered rather than cooked — useful context when evaluating the ingredient list alongside the nutrition numbers.
Salt
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese contains 0.69g of salt per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 0.61g of salt, 10% of the adult daily limit of 6g.
The 2010 FSA voluntary salt reduction target for pasta sauce is 1.1g per 100g. At 0.69g per 100g, this product meets that target.
Sugar and added sugar
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese contains 5.6g of sugar per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 4.93g of sugar. Tomatoes contain natural sugar (fructose), so some sugar content in any tomato-based sauce is expected. The key question is whether additional sugar has been added beyond what the tomatoes themselves provide.
Ingredients
Tomato pasta sauce
Tomatoes (83%), Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (7.0%), Onion, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Basil, Garlic, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Parsley, Spice, Natural Flavouring, Herb. No meat — a sauce for adding to mince.
Allergens at a glance
Allergen information: Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese
Wheat
Not present
Rye
Not present
Barley
Not present
Oats
Not present
Sesame
Not present
Soya
Not present
Milk
Not present
Eggs
Not present
Fish
Not present
Crustaceans
Not present
Celery
Not present
Mustard
Not present
Molluscs
Not present
Lupin
Not present
Frequently asked questions
Quarter-jar serving (88g): 0.61g of salt (10% of the adult daily limit of 6g); Half-jar serving (125g): 0.86g of salt (14% of the adult daily limit of 6g); Half-jar serving (175g): 1.21g of salt (20% of the adult daily limit of 6g).
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese contains 5.6g of sugar per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 4.93g of sugar. The sugar present is primarily from natural ingredients.
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food. It contains modified maize starch, flavouring, acidity regulator — industrial additives not typically used in home cooking.
A home-made tomato pasta sauce using tinned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil and salt typically contains around 0.3g to 0.5g of salt per 100g (from the added salt alone), no modified starch, and no acidity regulators. The salt content of Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese (0.69g per 100g) is higher than a home-made equivalent. The main difference is in the processing additives rather than the nutrition numbers.
Dolmio Original Sauce for Bolognese does not contain meat, fish or other non-vegetarian ingredients in its standard recipe. It is suitable for vegetarians.
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Nutrition from official brand UK labels (Dolmio UK, Loyd Grossman UK, Sacla' UK, Napolina UK, Barilla UK), Action on Salt pasta sauce and pesto surveys (2009, 2017), Which? blind taste test 2023 (pesto), MadeForMums independent analysis, and UK supermarket product listings. NOVA classifications from ingredient lists at time of writing. For guidance only, not medical advice.
