Tops Gold Mixed Pickle
Red flags
- −Red flag: High sodium (5140mg per 100g)
- −Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate
Green flags
- +Green flag: No added sugar
Ingredients, decoded
11 listed- Mixed Vegetables - 64% (Mango, Lime, Green Chilli, Carrot, Turnip, Dela, Cauliflower, Ginger, Lotus Stem)
- Iodised Salt
- Mustard Oil
- Fenugreek
- Acidity Regulators (INS 330, INS 260)
- Aniseed
- Red Chilli Powder
- Lime Juice
- Preservative (INS 211)
- Spices & Condiments
- Turmeric Powder
Our take
CleanPlate reviewMixed vegetable pickle with extreme sodium
Tops Gold Mixed Pickle lists mixed vegetables (64%: mango, lime, green chilli, carrot, turnip, dela, cauliflower, ginger, lotus stem), iodised salt, mustard oil, fenugreek, acidity regulators (INS 330, 260), aniseed, red chilli powder, lime juice, preservative (INS 211), spices and turmeric. The pack is 900 g and the panel is printed per 100 g, with a 15 g serve.
CleanPlate scores it EA5. 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 mango, lime and green chilli), and almost no additives. The 5 for risk comes mainly from sodium (5140 mg per 100 g).
How EA5 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
- 2.4 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 99 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
- Mixed Vegetables - 64%
- Main fat
- Mustard Oil
- Sweeteners
- None added
- Additives
- 3
- Flagged
- Sodium Benzoate
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
Very high risk
- Added sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 5140 mg
- Saturated fat
- 0.34 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?
Mixed vegetables (64%), iodised salt, mustard oil, fenugreek, acidity regulators 330 and 260, aniseed, red chilli, lime juice, preservative 211, spices and turmeric.
Per 100 g: 99.2 kcal, 4.12 g fat of which 0.34 g saturated, 1.55 g sugar of which 0 g added, 2.42 g protein, 5140 mg sodium. No fibre line is printed. The net quantity of 900 g comes from the listing (60 servings of 15 g). The 5,140 mg of sodium is the declared panel value, 38% of the RDA per 15 g serve. Atwater energy (99 kcal) matches.
Ingredients to watch
- SodiumConcern
5,140 mg per 100 g, 8.6 times the 600 mg high line; 771 mg in a 15 g serve.
- VegetablesFine
Mixed vegetables are 64% of the pickle.
- SugarFine
1.6 g total sugar per 100 g, none added.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "A small spoon of pickle doesn't matter"
15 g carries 771 mg of sodium, 38% of the RDA on the panel, and it adds up across a plate.
Myth: "Pickle is preserved only by oil and spice"
Salt does most of the work, and sodium benzoate (INS 211) is added as well.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsOccasionally
- ChildrenRarely
- Diabetes or prediabetesLimit
Smarter ways to eat it
Use a teaspoon
A 5 g teaspoon has about 257 mg of sodium; keep to one.
Skip other salt
Eat it with unsalted rice or roti so the pickle is the only salt at the meal.
Common questions
Is Tops Gold Mixed Pickle healthy?
Tops Gold Mixed Pickle scores EA5 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High sodium (5140mg per 100g); Contains Sodium Benzoate. On the plus side: No added sugar.
What does the EA5 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 (5) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): very high risk.
Which ingredients in Tops Gold Mixed Pickle should I watch?
Preservative (INS 211) (Sodium Benzoate).
Last reviewed October 13, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.