Free UK delivery on all orders · At-home saliva test · Secure checkout
Free UK delivery on all orders
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto: nutrition, salt and what the label does not tell you
A standard serving of Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto (45g) contains 154 kcal, 0.54g of salt and 0.54g of sugar. It is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food under the NOVA food processing system.
Try it: nutrition calculator
Choose a brand, sauce and serving size. Compare salt, sugar and NOVA processing level across brands and own-label alternatives.
Pasta sauce nutrition calculator
Salt, sugar and UPF level by serving
Choose a brand, sauce and serving size. See how salt, sugar, saturated fat and NOVA processing level compare across brands and own-label alternatives.
Your serving--
Calories
--
--
0--
--
Salt
--
--
0--
--
Sugar
--
--
--
0--
--
NOVA processing level
--
--
--
Nutrition by serving
Nutrition by serving: Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto
Serving
Calories
Salt
Sugar
= teaspoons
Protein
Pesto serving (45g per 100g pasta)
154 kcal
0.54g
0.54g
0.1 tsp
1.26g
Pesto serving (50g)
171 kcal
0.6g
0.6g
0.2 tsp
1.4g
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).
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto contains 342 kcal, 32g of fat (4.1g saturated), 9.6g of carbohydrate (1.2g sugar), 2.8g of protein and 1.2g of salt per 100g.
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto uses cashew nuts and rice syrup to replace the cheese body and umami depth of the classic pesto. The result is lower in salt (1.2g per 100g vs 3.0g in Classic) because aged cheese is a major source of sodium in traditional pesto. However, it introduces rice syrup (a form of glucose syrup) and natural flavouring to compensate — pushing it into NOVA 4 territory despite being dairy-free. Figures from the official Sacla' UK product page.
NOVA food processing classification
NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food
Rice syrup (sweetener), natural flavouring, lactic acid — more processing than Classic variant to compensate for absence of cheese.
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.
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food under the NOVA food processing system.
The following industrial additives are present in its ingredient list: 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
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto contains 1.2g of salt per 100g, which is concentrated — pesto is used in smaller portions than jar sauces. A pesto serving (45g per 100g pasta) delivers 0.54g of salt, 9% of the adult daily limit of 6g.
The 2010 FSA voluntary salt reduction target for pasta sauce is 1.1g per 100g. At 1.2g per 100g, this product exceeds that target.
Sugar and added sugar
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto contains 1.2g of sugar per 100g. A pesto serving (45g per 100g pasta) delivers 0.54g of sugar. In pesto, the sugar content is low (from the basil and garlic) and there is typically no added sugar.
Ingredients
Vegan green pesto
Basil (52.5%), Sunflower Seed Oil, Cashew Nuts, Rice Syrup, Potato Flakes, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Natural Flavouring, Olive Oil, Pine Kernels, Spices. No dairy — cheese replaced with cashew nuts for body and flavour.
Allergens at a glance
Allergen information: Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto
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
Pesto serving (45g per 100g pasta): 0.54g of salt (9% of the adult daily limit of 6g); Pesto serving (50g): 0.6g of salt (10% of the adult daily limit of 6g).
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto contains 1.2g of sugar per 100g. A pesto serving (45g per 100g pasta) delivers 0.54g of sugar. The sugar present is primarily from natural ingredients.
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food. It contains 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 Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto (1.2g per 100g) is higher than a home-made equivalent. The main difference is in the processing additives rather than the nutrition numbers.
Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto does not contain meat, fish or other non-vegetarian ingredients in its standard recipe. It is suitable for vegetarians.
Know what you are eating
Know what you are eating.
The Boone app tracks calories, salt, sugar, saturated fat and 30+ nutrients in real time. Scan any pasta sauce and see exactly how it fits your daily targets.
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.
