Who is this for?

Students preparing several lunches

If you’re cooking a sauce, chilli or casserole for several meals, the number of tins matters just as much as the total quantity: it determines what you’ll need to store after opening each one.

Students with limited fridge space

If you can’t easily keep an opened portion chilled, separate tins or a smaller size let you open only what you plan to cook.

Shoppers who check the ingredients

If salt, other ingredients, organic certification or stated origin matter to you, compare the labels on the specific products and sizes rather than relying on the brand alone.

What should you look for?

First, decide how many meals you’ll prepare each time you open a tin. Then check the stated weight of each tin, how the contents can be stored and the ingredients in the size you’re considering.

What to consider What to check Who it matters to
Quantity and leftovers Compare the number of tins and distinguish between net weight and net drained weight. Check the storage instructions for after opening. If I’m preparing lunches for different days, I’d rather open one tin at a time than keep the rest of a large tin. Around 46% of shoppers would put managing quantities first.
Size availability Check that the multipack or size you want is available at the shop or online grocery service you use. If I need to cook soon, I want to be able to find a pack size that suits the meal I have planned. Availability would be the top priority for around 27% of shoppers.
Ingredients and recipe Read the ingredients for the exact size and, if they matter to you, check its organic and origin claims. For a particular recipe, I want to know whether the tin contains tomato juice or purée, salt or an acidity regulator. Around 27% of shoppers would put the ingredients first.

What should you watch out for?

  • Confusing a family multipack with one large tin

    Opening two separate 400 g tins won’t leave you with the same leftovers as opening a single 800 g tin, even though the total quantity is identical.

    If you’re cooking meals several days apart, check how many tins are in the multipack. Save the large tin for meals where you’ll use the contents all at once or can keep the leftovers chilled.

  • Forgetting the storage instructions after opening

    Storage times vary by product: Auchan says to use the contents of its 480 g tin within 2 days, while Jardin BiO étic gives 3 days for its 800 g tin.

    Follow the instructions on your product. For the Auchan product, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate them.

  • Choosing a multipack without checking availability

    A product listing may show a pack size that you can’t order through your chosen online grocery service; Carrefour’s three-tin multipack was marked as unavailable when its listing was checked.

    Before planning several meals around a particular multipack, check that it’s available at your local shop or through your online grocery service.

  • Assuming all recipes are the same

    The ingredients lists for the products mentioned are different. Auchan also notes that the ingredients may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase.

    If a particular ingredient or feature matters to you, read the label on the tin you buy, even if you’ve already checked its online listing.

Peeled tomato brands to consider

These products show some of the pack sizes and ingredients you can compare; their inclusion here doesn’t guarantee they’ll be available at your local shop.

Mutti

Mutti offers its Pelati peeled tomatoes in 400 g, 2 × 400 g and 800 g sizes. The two-tin multipack lets you open the tins separately for different meals.

  • Carrefour’s listing for the multipack says it contains whole peeled tomatoes and tomato juice.
  • When comparing the multipack with the 800 g tin, consider how much you’ll cook each time you open one.

Cirio

The Cirio product listed by Carrefour comes in a 400 g tin of peeled tomatoes, making it an option for smaller recipes.

  • The listing gives the ingredients as peeled tomatoes, tomato purée and citric acid; the product name also states that the tomatoes come from Puglia.
  • Check which pack sizes are available if you want several tins for separate meals.

Carrefour

Carrefour lists a multipack of three whole peeled tomato tins, each with a stated drained weight of 480 g.

  • You can open the three tins separately for different meals.
  • The multipack was marked as unavailable for online grocery orders when its listing was checked; check availability at your local shop.

E.Leclerc / Bio Village

E.Leclerc’s listing features a 400 g tin of Bio Village organic whole peeled tomatoes.

  • The listing gives the ingredients as 60% organic peeled tomatoes, 39.9% organic tomato juice and citric acid; it also displays a Nutri-Score A.
  • The Nutri-Score doesn’t replace checking the ingredients or choosing a quantity that suits the meal you’re planning.

Auchan

Auchan offers 240 g and 480 g sizes, among others, so you can choose a quantity to suit your recipe.

  • For its 480 g product, the listing says to refrigerate any opened contents in an airtight container and use them within 2 days.
  • Auchan says the ingredients may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase, so check the label on the tin you receive.

Lidl

A Lidl France document dated 8 July 2024 mentions whole peeled tomatoes in a 480 g size.

  • This size gives you a useful point of comparison for a recipe that needs less than an 800 g tin.
  • Check in store which product and pack size are available now.

Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is a multipack better than an 800 g tin for several lunches?

A multipack of separate tins works well if you’re cooking these lunches at different times and want to open just one tin at a time. An 800 g tin is a good option if you’re preparing several portions at once and can store the opened contents in the fridge, following the product instructions.

How long can you keep peeled tomatoes after opening?

Follow the storage time on the tin you choose: Auchan says 2 days for its 480 g product, compared with 3 days for Jardin BiO étic’s 800 g product. Auchan’s listing says to use an airtight container and refrigerate the contents; the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) recommends storing food at between 0 and +4 °C in the coldest part of the fridge.

Is the online ingredients list enough to help you choose?

Use the online listing to compare products, then read the label on the tin you buy. Auchan says the ingredients in its peeled tomatoes may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase.

How should you sort the packaging after use?

Check the recycling information on the product or its packaging, or in any accompanying documents. According to the French ministry responsible for ecological transition, this information tells you how to sort the product for recycling.