Mackays Scottish Three Berry Preserve
Red flags
- −Red flag: High sugar (65g per 100g)
Green flags
- +Green flag: Low sodium
Ingredients, decoded
7 listed- Sugar
- Scottish Strawberries
- Scottish Raspberries
- Scottish Blackcurrants
- Lemon Juice (from concentrate)
- Geling Agent: Fruit Pectin
- Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid
Our take
CleanPlate reviewThree berry preserve that is two thirds sugar
Mackays Scottish Three Berry Preserve is a preserve of sugar with strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, lemon juice, fruit pectin and citric acid. The jar is 340 g, 17 servings of 20 g (one tablespoon), and these values come from a retailer card.
CleanPlate scores it EB4. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The B for ingredients reflects mostly refined or industrial ingredients (led by sugar, strawberries and raspberries), and almost no additives. The 4 for risk comes mainly from free sugar (65 g per 100 g).
How EB4 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
- 0 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 250 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.
Good, few concerning additives
- Base
- Sugar
- Sweeteners
- Sugar
- Additives
- 2
- Flagged
- None
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
High risk
- Total sugar
- 65 g
- Sodium
- 5 mg
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, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, lemon juice (from concentrate), fruit pectin and citric acid; no fruit shares are printed.
Per 100 g: 250 kcal, 0 g fat, 65 g sugar, 0 g protein, 5 mg sodium. The nutrition and ingredients come from a retailer promo card, not the jar, so confidence is medium; the earlier label read blackberries and was wrong. The card gives 50 kcal per 20 g, converted to 250 kcal per 100 g. Fruit shares are not printed, so a halving split is assumed and the score is provisional. Sodium is 1 mg per serve. Net 340 g.
Ingredients to watch
- Free sugarConcern
65 g per 100 g, about 13 g in a 20 g tablespoon.
- Fruit sharesWorth watching
Not printed; sugar is listed first.
- AdditivesFine
Only pectin and citric acid.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Scottish berries means mostly fruit"
Sugar is first on the list and 65 g of every 100 g is sugar.
Myth: "A preserve is a lighter spread"
A tablespoon carries about 13 g of sugar.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsOccasionally
- ChildrenRarely
- Diabetes or prediabetesLimit
Smarter ways to eat it
Use half a tablespoon
That is about 6 g of sugar on toast.
Stir into plain curd
A teaspoon flavours curd with little sugar.
Common questions
Is Mackays Scottish Three Berry Preserve healthy?
Mackays Scottish Three Berry Preserve scores EB4 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High sugar (65g per 100g). On the plus side: Low sodium.
What does the EB4 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 (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.