Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce: nutrition, salt and what the label does not tell you

A standard serving of Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce (88g) contains 41 kcal, 0.48g of salt and 5.1g of sugar. It is classified as NOVA 2 — minimally processed 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: Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

Serving	Calories	Salt	Sugar	= teaspoons	Protein
Quarter-jar serving (88g)	41 kcal	0.48g	5.1g	1.3 tsp	1.32g
Half-jar serving (125g)	59 kcal	0.69g	7.25g	1.8 tsp	1.88g
Half-jar serving (175g)	82 kcal	0.96g	10.15g	2.5 tsp	2.63g

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).

Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce contains 47 kcal, 1.2g of fat (0.2g saturated), 7.2g of carbohydrate (5.8g sugar), 1.5g of protein and 0.55g of salt per 100g.

Napolina Tomato & Basil has one of the cleaner ingredient lists of any mainstream branded pasta sauce — just tomatoes, tomato puree, onion, oil, sugar, basil, salt and garlic. No modified starch, no acidity regulators, no flavourings. At 0.55g of salt per 100g it is also one of the lower-salt branded options. The 5.8g of sugar per 100g reflects both natural tomato sugars and the listed added sugar.

NOVA food processing classification

NOVA 2 — minimally processed

All recognisable whole food ingredients; no industrial additives.

The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of processing. NOVA 2 covers processed culinary ingredients — oil, salt, vinegar — and simple combinations of whole foods made using minimal processing.

Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce is classified as NOVA 2 — minimally processed under the NOVA food processing system.

A NOVA 2 or 3 classification for a jarred pasta sauce is unusual. Most ambient pasta sauces in UK supermarkets contain at least modified maize starch and citric acid, which would push them into NOVA 4. The short ingredient list of Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce — using only recognisable whole food ingredients with no industrial additives — reflects a different approach to manufacturing that trades longer shelf life and price efficiency for a simpler formulation.

Salt

Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce contains 0.55g of salt per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 0.48g of salt, 8% of the adult daily limit of 6g.

At 0.55g of salt per 100g this is one of the lower-salt options in this guide. Action on Salt's independent survey of pasta sauces found that supermarket own-brand products averaged 0.86g of salt per 100g, 25% less than branded equivalents which averaged 1.17g per 100g.

Sugar and added sugar

Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce contains 5.8g of sugar per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 5.1g 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.

The ingredient list for Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce includes added sugar. Tomatoes at peak ripeness contain around 2.5g to 3g of natural sugar per 100g — any total sugar content meaningfully above that reflects added sugar in the recipe. The amount of added sugar is not required to be declared separately on UK food labels, making it impossible to determine from the nutrition panel alone how much of the stated sugar is natural versus added.

Ingredients

Tomato pasta sauce

Tomatoes (74%), Tomato Puree (8%), Onion, Sunflower Oil, Sugar, Basil, Salt, Garlic. One of the shorter ingredient lists among mainstream branded pasta sauces — no modified starch, no acidity regulator, no added flavourings.

Allergens at a glance

Allergen information: Napolina Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

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

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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.