Tops Mixed Fruit Jam
Red flags
- −Red flag: Contains Carmoisine
- −Red flag: High added sugar (61.9g per 100g)
- −Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate
Green flags
- +Green flag: Low sodium
Ingredients, decoded
8 listed- Sugar
- Mixed Fruit Pulp 48% (Apple, Pear, Guava, Pineapple, Banana, Mango, Grapes, Papaya)
- Gelling Agent (INS 440)
- Acidity Regulator (INS 330)
- Nature - Identical Flavouring Substances (Apple, Pineapple)
- Artificial Flavouring Substances (Banana, Raspberry, Strawberry)
- Preservatives (INS 211, INS 224)
- Food Colour (INS 122)
Our take
CleanPlate reviewMixed fruit jam: 48% fruit, carmoisine and sulphite
Tops Mixed Fruit Jam is a 475 g jar made from sugar, mixed fruit pulp (48%: apple, pear, guava, pineapple, banana, mango, grapes, papaya), a gelling agent, an acidity regulator, nature-identical and artificial flavours, two preservatives and the colour carmoisine. The panel is printed per 100 g.
CleanPlate scores it [R]EC4. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The C for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by sugar, apple and pear), with additives that cost points: potassium metabisulphite, flavouring and carmoisine. A red flag (Southampton Six x1) cuts the score by 20%. The 4 for risk comes mainly from free sugar (67 g per 100 g).
Claims vs reality
What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.
- Product nameHolds
“Mixed Fruit Jam”
Eight fruits are named and the pulp is 48% of the jam.
- On the packBe careful
“Made From Handpicked Ingredients”
A sourcing claim the pack gives no evidence for.
How EC4 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
- 0.1 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 281 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.
Mixed processing and additives
- Base
- Sugar
- Sweeteners
- Sugar
- Additives
- 4
- Flagged
- Sodium Benzoate, Carmoisine
- Artificial flavour or colour
- Yes
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
High risk
- Added sugar
- 61.9 g
- Sodium
- 14 mg
- Saturated fat
- 0 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.
[R] Contains an ingredient on our red-flag list (such as a partially hydrogenated oil or a flagged synthetic dye), which cuts the ingredient grade.
A closer look
Does the label add up?
Sugar, mixed fruit pulp (48%), gelling agent (INS 440), acidity regulator (INS 330), nature-identical flavouring (apple, pineapple), artificial flavouring (banana, raspberry, strawberry), preservatives (INS 211, INS 224) and food colour (INS 122).
Per 100 g: 281 kcal, 0 g fat of which 0 g saturated, 67 g sugar of which 61.9 g added, 0.1 g protein, 14 mg sodium. The pack prints fibre as not declared. The allergen line reads contains sulphite, may contain soy. Fruit shares inside the pulp are estimated; the protein balance check is a small mismatch (0.1 g declared).
Ingredients to watch
- CarmoisineConcern
INS 122 is a Southampton Six dye and cuts the ingredients score by 20%.
- Added sugarConcern
61.9 g per 100 g; 67 g of total sugar.
- PreservativesWorth watching
Potassium metabisulphite (INS 224) costs 3 points; the pack declares sulphite.
- FruitFine
Mixed fruit pulp is 48%.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Fruit jam counts as fruit"
Sugar is the first ingredient and added sugar is 61.9 g per 100 g.
Myth: "Jam is a natural food"
This one has a synthetic dye, artificial flavours and two preservatives.
How often, and how
- Healthy adultsA thin spread a few times a week
- ChildrenOccasionally
- Diabetes or prediabetesOccasionally, watch the sugar
Smarter ways to eat it
Thin spread
A 15 g spoon is about 42 kcal and 9 g of added sugar.
Try fruit instead
A banana or apple gives the fibre the jam does not.
Common questions
Is Tops Mixed Fruit Jam healthy?
Tops Mixed Fruit Jam scores EC4 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: Contains Carmoisine; High added sugar (61.9g per 100g); Contains Sodium Benzoate. On the plus side: Low sodium.
What does the EC4 score mean?
The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (C) grades ingredient and label integrity: mixed processing and additives. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.
Which ingredients in Tops Mixed Fruit Jam should I watch?
Preservatives (INS 211, INS 224) (Sodium Benzoate), Food Colour (INS 122) (Carmoisine).
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.
Better Jams & Fruit Spreads
All 11 →- St. Dalfour Mix Fruit Spread
- −Red flag: High sugar (46.1g per 100g)
- +Green flag: No added sugar
- Eatopia Mixed Berry Honey Jam
- −Red flag: High added sugar (29g per 100g)
- +Green flag: Low sodium
- Kissan Mixed Fruit JamFortified
- −Red flag: Contains Carmoisine
- −Red flag: High added sugar (62.6g per 100g)
- Kissan Pineapple Jam
- −Red flag: High added sugar (63.7g per 100g)
- −Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate