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Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce: nutrition, salt and what the label does not tell you
A standard serving of Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce (88g) contains 42 kcal, 0.63g of salt and 3.96g 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: Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Serving
Calories
Salt
Sugar
= teaspoons
Protein
Quarter-jar serving (88g)
42 kcal
0.63g
3.96g
1 tsp
1.41g
Half-jar serving (125g)
60 kcal
0.9g
5.63g
1.4 tsp
2g
Half-jar serving (175g)
84 kcal
1.26g
7.88g
2 tsp
2.8g
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).
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce contains 48 kcal, 1.2g of fat (0.2g saturated), 7.2g of carbohydrate (4.5g sugar), 1.6g of protein and 0.72g of salt per 100g.
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce contains 8% mushrooms — more than Dolmio (5%) but far less than Loyd Grossman (30%). Natural flavouring supplements the mushroom character, typical of own-brand mushroom sauces where real mushroom content falls below 15%.
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.
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce 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. 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.
Supermarket own-brand pasta sauces are almost universally NOVA 4 — the modified maize starch and citric acid present in this sauce appear across virtually all ambient pasta sauces regardless of brand or price point. The NOVA classification is determined by the formulation of the product, not by its retail price or own-brand status.
Salt
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce contains 0.72g of salt per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 0.63g of salt, 11% of the adult daily limit of 6g.
The 2010 FSA voluntary salt reduction target for pasta sauce is 1.1g per 100g. At 0.72g per 100g, this product meets that target.
Sugar and added sugar
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce contains 4.5g of sugar per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 3.96g 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.
Quarter-jar serving (88g): 0.63g of salt (11% of the adult daily limit of 6g); Half-jar serving (125g): 0.9g of salt (15% of the adult daily limit of 6g); Half-jar serving (175g): 1.26g of salt (21% of the adult daily limit of 6g).
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce contains 4.5g of sugar per 100g. A quarter-jar serving (88g) delivers 3.96g of sugar. The sugar present is primarily from natural ingredients.
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce is classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed food. It contains modified maize starch, flavouring — 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 Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce (0.72g per 100g) is higher than a home-made equivalent. The main difference is in the processing additives rather than the nutrition numbers.
Tesco Mushroom Pasta Sauce 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.
