Ching's Secret Soups#4 of 4 in categoryRating 2/5

Ching's Secret Tomato Soup

Red flags

Red flag: High added sugar (29.6g per 100g)
Red flag: High sodium (4141mg per 100g)

Green flags

Nothing stands out in its favour.

Ingredients, decoded

15 listed

Sugar
Corn Flour
Tomato Powder (14%)
Dehydrated Vegetables (12%) [Carrot, Sweet Corn, French Beans, Broccoli]
Iodised Salt
Thickener (INS 415)
Flavour Enhancer (INS 635)
Pepper Powder
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Acidity Regulator (INS 330)
Sunflower Oil
Chilli Powder
Natural Colour (INS 160c)
Anticaking Agent (INS 551)

ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

EB5

Nutrition per 100 g

ENutritionBIngredients5Risk

VerdictPOOR

Energy342 kcal

Protein3.1 g

Carbohydrates78.8 g

Total sugars39.3 g

Added sugars29.6 g

Total fat1.5 g

Saturated fat0.4 g

Trans fat0 g

Cholesterol0 mg

Sodium4141 mg

Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

Sugar leads this tomato soup mix

Ching's Secret Tomato Soup is a 55 g dry soup mix of sugar, corn flour, tomato powder (14%), dehydrated vegetables (12%: carrot, sweet corn, French beans, broccoli), salt, a thickener, the flavour enhancer 635, spices, sunflower oil and paprika extract. It makes four servings with 600 ml of water.

CleanPlate scores it EB5. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The B for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by sugar, corn flour and tomato powder), with additives that cost points: xanthan gum, silicon dioxide and a flavour enhancer. The 5 for risk comes mainly from sodium (4141 mg per 100 g) and free sugar (29.6 g per 100 g).

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

On the pack
“Real Vegetables”
Partly true
Dehydrated carrot, sweet corn, beans and broccoli are 12% of the dry mix.
On the pack
“No Added Preservatives”
Holds
No preservative is listed.
Product name
“Tomato Soup”
Holds
Tomato powder is 14% of the mix.

How EB5 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →

01 Nutritional valueA to E

Very low nutrient density

Protein: 3.1 g
Fibre: Not declared
Vitamins and minerals: None declared
Energy: 342 kcal

Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E

Good, few concerning additives

Base: Sugar
Main fat: Sunflower Oil
Sweeteners: Sugar
Additives: 3
Flagged: None

Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5

Very high risk

Added sugar: 29.6 g
Sodium: 4141 mg
Saturated fat: 0.4 g
Trans fat: 0 g

Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

Sugar, corn flour, tomato powder (14%), dehydrated vegetables (12%), iodised salt, thickener (415), flavour enhancer (635), pepper, onion and garlic powder, acidity regulator (330), sunflower oil, chilli powder, natural colour (160c) and anticaking agent (551).

Per 100 g: 342 kcal, 1.5 g fat of which 0.4 g saturated, 39.3 g sugar of which 29.6 g added, 3.1 g protein, 4141 mg sodium. The panel is per 100 g of the dry mix as sold, not of the prepared soup; a serving of 13.75 g carries about 570 mg of sodium.

Ingredients to watch

SodiumConcern
4141 mg per 100 g of dry mix, about 570 mg per serving.
Free sugarConcern
29.6 g added sugar per 100 g of dry mix, with sugar the first ingredient.
Flavour enhancerWorth watching
INS 635 and silicon dioxide (551) each cost points.
No preservativeFine
None is listed; tomato powder is 14%.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "Soup is always a light, healthy start"

Per serving the mix is low in calories, but the dry mix is 29.6 g added sugar and 4141 mg sodium per 100 g.

Myth: "Tomato soup is mostly tomato"

Tomato powder is 14%; sugar and corn flour come first.

How often, and how

Healthy adultsOccasionally
ChildrenRarely
Diabetes or prediabetesLimit

Smarter ways to eat it

Use half the sachet

Mix half the sachet with more water and add fresh tomato and vegetables.

Homemade

Simmer fresh tomatoes with onion and garlic for a soup with no added sugar.

Common questions

Is Ching's Secret Tomato Soup healthy?

Ching's Secret Tomato Soup scores EB5 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High added sugar (29.6g per 100g); High sodium (4141mg per 100g).

What does the EB5 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (B) grades ingredient and label integrity: good, few concerning additives. The number (5) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): very high risk.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

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