Pasta sauces

• 348 products were listed for this study
• 428 mg sodium per serving of tomato pasta sauce
• 626 mg sodium per serving of cheese or cream pasta sauce

This follow-up shows that, on average, the range of pasta sauces has not changed significantly since 2019. Despite an increase in the proportion of products meeting the Daily Value (DV) thresholds for sodium and saturated fat, the changes noted are not significantly different from 2019. However, specific improvements were noted for certain pasta sauces. This is the case for rosé sauces, which more often meet Health Canada’s voluntary sodium reduction targets. What’s more, when sales are considered, further improvements are observed, notably for modified pasta sauces. This indicates that consumers have purchased these more nutritious products. In addition to saturated fat, sodium remains a nutrient to watch. Although there are more sauces meeting the 15% DV threshold for sodium, still 68% of sauces listed (representing 69% of sales) are above this threshold. Consequently, if no improvement is made by the end of the implementation period (January 1, 2026), 70% of the sauces analyzed in this report will have to display the nutritional symbol indicating high content of at least one nutrient.

• 322 pasta sauces were listed for this study
• 406 mg of sodium per serving of tomato-based pasta sauce
• 705 mg of sodium per serving of cheese or cream-based pasta sauce

The results of this study on pasta sauces show variability in the nutritional composition according to content, protein source, target consumers and specific characteristics. These analyses make it possible to identify which products should be monitored in the coming years, but also where improvement should be considered. In this regard, cheese cream and rosé sauces could be improved by reducing saturated fat and sodium levels. The nutritional composition of tomato-only or tomato and vegetable sauces is more interesting than others, considering their lower levels of saturated fat and higher fibre content. These elements could easily be communicated to consumers to guide them towards healthier choices. On the other hand, health-oriented sauces should be monitored, since their nutritional composition seems less interesting than others, which could mislead consumers.