Knorr Pizza & Pasta Sauce
Red flags
- −Red flag: High sodium (909mg per 100g)
- −Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate
Green flags
Nothing stands out in its favour.
Ingredients, decoded
10 listed- Water
- Vegetables# (Crushed Tomato - 25%, Diced Tomato - 20%, Chopped Onion - 3.5%, Garlic Paste - 2.5%)
- Sugar
- Iodised Salt
- Soyabean Oil
- Stabilisers (1422, 415)
- Acidity Regulator (260)
- Herbs (Oregano and Basil - 0.12%)
- White Pepper Powder
- Preservative (211)
EA3
Our take
CleanPlate reviewMostly real tomato and onion, held back by salt
Knorr Pizza & Pasta Sauce is water and vegetables (crushed tomato 25%, diced tomato 20%, onion 3.5%, garlic paste 2.5%) with sugar, salt, soyabean oil, two stabilisers, an acidity regulator, herbs and the preservative sodium benzoate.
CleanPlate scores it EA3. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The A for ingredients reflects whole or lightly processed ingredients (led by crushed tomato, diced tomato and chopped onion), with additives that cost points: acetylated distarch adipate and xanthan gum. The 3 for risk comes mainly from sodium (909 mg per 100 g) and free sugar (7 g per 100 g).
Claims vs reality
What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.
- Retail listingPartly true
“With 100 per cent real tomatoes”
The tomatoes are real (45% crushed and diced), but the sauce also has sugar, soyabean oil and two stabilisers.
How EA3 breaks down
Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.
Very low nutrient density
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 83 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.
Clean, minimally processed
- Base
- Water
- Main fat
- Soyabean Oil
- Sweeteners
- Sugar
- Additives
- 4
- Flagged
- Sodium Benzoate
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
Moderate risk
- Added sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 909 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?
Water, crushed tomato 25%, diced tomato 20%, chopped onion 3.5%, garlic paste 2.5%, sugar, iodised salt, soyabean oil, stabilisers (INS 1422, 415), acidity regulator (INS 260), herbs 0.12%, white pepper and preservative INS 211.
Per 100 g: 83 kcal, 2.4 g fat of which 0.4 g saturated, 10.7 g sugar of which 7 g added, 1 g fibre, 1 g protein, 909 mg sodium. Fibre is 1 g. Added sugar is 7 g of the 10.7 g total (tomato supplies the rest).
Ingredients to watch
- SodiumWorth watching
909 mg per 100 g, about 455 mg in a 50 g serve.
- Added sugarWorth watching
7 g per 100 g, about 3.5 g in a 50 g serve.
- Two stabilisersWorth watching
INS 1422 and xanthan gum (INS 415) cost 4 points between them.
- Tomato and onionFine
Crushed tomato, diced tomato and onion lead the list at 48.5%.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Jar sauces have no sugar"
This one has 7 g of added sugar per 100 g, listed after the vegetables.
Myth: "A preservative means an unsafe sauce"
Sodium benzoate is permitted by FSSAI and costs nothing here; the stabilisers are what cost points.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsOccasionally
- ChildrenRarely
- Diabetes or prediabetesLimit
Smarter ways to eat it
Add vegetables
Stir in sautéed mushrooms or capsicum for more vegetable per serve.
Go easy on salty extras
Skip extra salt and use less cheese on top; the sauce already brings 455 mg of sodium per 50 g.
Common questions
Is Knorr Pizza & Pasta Sauce healthy?
Knorr Pizza & Pasta Sauce scores EA3 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High sodium (909mg per 100g); Contains Sodium Benzoate.
What does the EA3 score mean?
The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (A) grades ingredient and label integrity: clean, minimally processed. The number (3) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): moderate risk.
Which ingredients in Knorr Pizza & Pasta Sauce should I watch?
Preservative (211) (Sodium Benzoate).
Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.