When shopping for Christmas, only choose a tinned soup labelled “reduced in sugars” if the claim applies to the exact recipe you’re buying and is based on a comparison with a similar product. The “of which sugars” line lets you compare recipes, but doesn’t by itself prove that sugars have been reduced. Check the salt, allergens and storage instructions too before choosing what to stock up on.
If “reduced in sugars” is your buying criterion, check that the claim applies to the exact recipe. A low figure in the nutrition information doesn’t, by itself, prove a reduction compared with a similar soup.
If soup is being served alongside other dishes, compare the salt content per 100 ml too. Manger Bouger lists soups among everyday products that can contribute to your salt intake.
An individual sachet or small portion might suit your plans, but the flavour and format don’t replace checking the ingredients. Check the allergens and any “may contain” warnings for every recipe you plan to serve.
When stocking up on soup for Christmas, first check whether the claim about sugars applies to the exact product you’re considering. Then compare the recipes and their storage instructions.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced sugars | Look for the “reduced in sugars” claim on the exact recipe, and check that it’s compared with a similar product. Also read the “of which sugars” figure per 100 ml. | If I’m looking for a reduction compared with a similar soup, a sugars figure on its own isn’t enough; around 33% of consumers prioritise this proof. |
| Salt | Compare the salt per 100 ml in soups of the same type. A “reduced salt” claim doesn’t tell you whether sugars have been reduced. | When I’m preparing several dishes for Christmas, I want to take the salt in the soup into account; salt comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients for the variant you’ve chosen, check which allergens are highlighted and look for any “may contain” warnings. | If I’m serving soup to someone who needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know what’s in that recipe; around 20% of consumers make this their top criterion. |
| Format and storage | Check the number of portions, the date and the storage instructions, especially after opening or for fresh soup. | I’m planning several meals and need a format that will keep until it’s time to serve; ease of storage is the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
The “of which sugars” figure describes the recipe, but doesn’t by itself show a reduction compared with a similar product. “No added sugars” means something different too.
If a reduction is essential to your choice, check the claim used for the exact soup, then compare the nutrition figures on the same basis.
A claim about sugars doesn’t tell you the salt content. Manger Bouger points out that soups can contribute to the salt in everyday products.
Compare the salt per 100 ml in similar soups. If a Nutri-Score is shown, use it as an additional guide, not as a substitute for the nutrition table.
Ingredients vary from one recipe to another. The Royco and Liebig soup listings featured by Carrefour France and Auchan France include ingredients such as wheat, milk or celery, depending on the product.
Check the ingredients and any “may contain” warnings for the variant you plan to serve, even if you already know the brand.
The Carrefour Traiteur organic 8-vegetable soup must be kept between 0 and +4 °C, so it has different storage requirements from a cupboard-stored product.
Before doing your Christmas shopping, check the date and storage instructions for each product. If you choose fresh soup, make sure you have enough room in the fridge too.
The range includes ready-to-heat liquid soups. Auchan France features a Pur Soup 12 légumes, for example, labelled “reduced salt”.
The sachets of dehydrated soup come in portion-sized formats that you prepare just before serving.
The retailer offers soups in several formats, so check how each one needs to be stored.
No. “Reduced in sugars” means there’s been a reduction compared with a similar product, while the “of which sugars” line shows what the soup contains. Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 governs nutrition claims, so check which claim applies to the recipe you’ve chosen rather than inferring it from a single figure.
Compare sugars and salt on the same basis, particularly per 100 ml when that’s how the soups are presented, and take into account the product as prepared. The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control states that nutrition information is given per 100 g or 100 ml; a serving may not contain that amount.
No: the two claims relate to different nutrients. Auchan France’s listing for Liebig Pur Soup 12 légumes gives figures for sugars and salt, but the reduction claim shown for this product is about salt.
Read the ingredient list for the exact recipe and check for any “may contain” warnings. The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control explains that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted; their presence can vary from one flavour to another.
No. Carrefour Traiteur says its organic 8-vegetable soup, a fresh product, must be kept between 0 and +4 °C. Check the date and storage instructions for every soup before buying, as well as the guidance for after opening.