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Original poster

Surprised by how few ingredients are in Dolmio?

111 replies

Lonutay · 27/09/2024 15:22

I just had a look at the ingredients list for Dolmio, and it looks like there's no nasties in it at all. That being said, I suppose it still counts as a UPF? Can it still be really bad for you if the ingredients are all natural ingredients?

Ingredients
Tomatoes (80%), Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (8.3%), Onion, Sugar, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Basil, Garlic, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Parsley, Spice, Herb

OP posts:
Sugarsugarahhoneyhoney · 27/09/2024 15:30

Make your own use tinned tomatoes, tomato puree garlic, a pinch of black pepper, tiny bit of salt and then whatever else you want to add.

LadyKenya · 27/09/2024 15:30

I make my own tomato sauce, and I never put Modified Maize Starch, or Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), in it. It is cheaper than a jarred sauce as well, which suits me.

autienotnaughty · 27/09/2024 15:31

There's more sugar and salt. All you need is tomato's , salt, pepper and a bit of mixed herbs

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NerrSnerr · 27/09/2024 15:31

The OP didn't ask about making her own sauce. I'm sure she could manage it if she wanted to. Sometimes people prefer the convenience of a jar and that's ok.

pinkleopardess · 27/09/2024 15:32

Yes it’s definitely still a UPF.

Falsenegative · 27/09/2024 15:33

Modified maize starch isn’t natural.

HotDogJumpingFrogHaveACookie · 27/09/2024 15:33

I'm quite surprised by that too.

But the mere thought of using a jar instead of making your own will have people on here clutching their pearls.

I think eat what you like. It's all about balance.

BobbyBiscuits · 27/09/2024 15:33

It sounds alright. But I don't want maize starch in my pasta sauce!? Just boil a tin of toms with a bit of olive oil and garlic, dried herbs. Pinch of salt, pinch of sugar.
If you want a ready made passata that's quite good try the Mutti brand one. I think it's on offer in a bunch of places right now.

itwasnevermine · 27/09/2024 15:34

I think Lloyd Grossman sauces are also decent for prepped food, probably some of the best considering what could be in them

Frozenberries · 27/09/2024 15:35

Yeah it’s fine. Very few dodgy ingredients. Definitely not as processed as other jars you can get

notacooldad · 27/09/2024 15:35

It's not bad at all.
I use citric acid in my home cooking.
Modified starch is OK.
UPF avoidiants wouldn't touch it but it's not unhealthy.

ru53 · 27/09/2024 15:35

A good proper passata takes at least an hour in my opinion to bring the sweetness out of the tomatoes. Nothing wrong with a jar of pasta sauce now and again. People have become paranoid about UPFs.

NerrSnerr · 27/09/2024 15:36

Wonder how many more posters are going to give a tomato sauce recipe that wasn't asked for.

Also wonder how many people who preach on here about UPF will secretly eat a box of Jaffa cakes when no one is watching?

Original poster
Lonutay · 27/09/2024 15:36

Thanks for the instructions on how to make my own sauce... I've got that covered! I was just genuinely surprised by how straightforward the ingredients are. According to Mumsnet, jars of sauce are akin to toxic waste these days, so this was unexpected. I'll feel less guilty the next time I use some Dolmio in a hurry.

OP posts:
CabraCadabra · 27/09/2024 15:37

I think some of those do make it upf. Heinz have some jars which are upf free though :)

ErrolTheDragon · 27/09/2024 15:38

I'd have thought that was processed but not really 'ultra processed'.
No, I'm sure it won't be 'really bad for you', I don't think it'll be bad for you at all.

wtf else would you expect there be in a simple tomato sauce though?

notacooldad · 27/09/2024 15:39

But I don't want maize starch in my pasta sauce!?

Maize stack is cornflour. It is in so many foods including yogurts, breads, pizzas, gravies, stews, soups etc.
If you eat out at any time, you've probably had maize starch in your food!

Original poster
Lonutay · 27/09/2024 15:39

ru53 · 27/09/2024 15:35

A good proper passata takes at least an hour in my opinion to bring the sweetness out of the tomatoes. Nothing wrong with a jar of pasta sauce now and again. People have become paranoid about UPFs.

Yes! Absolutely! I generally tend to make my own sauces, but with a new baby and toddler, I don't have the time needed to make a really good sauce. For a rich Bolognese with depth, you definitely need an hour or more. Sometimes we barely have 30 minutes, and that's when the Dolmio comes out. I'll feel less guilty about it now!

OP posts:
Falsenegative · 27/09/2024 15:41

notacooldad · 27/09/2024 15:39

But I don't want maize starch in my pasta sauce!?

Maize stack is cornflour. It is in so many foods including yogurts, breads, pizzas, gravies, stews, soups etc.
If you eat out at any time, you've probably had maize starch in your food!

Edited

Modified maize starch isn’t cornflour - it’s been modified to change the properties.

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 27/09/2024 15:42

ErrolTheDragon · 27/09/2024 15:38

I'd have thought that was processed but not really 'ultra processed'.
No, I'm sure it won't be 'really bad for you', I don't think it'll be bad for you at all.

wtf else would you expect there be in a simple tomato sauce though?

This is exactly what I was going to say, it's definitely not in the UPF category!

And as another poster said, whilst its very easy and relatively cheap to make your own sauce, in my opinion it really only tastes good when it's been able to cook down slowly. I often make a big batch and then portion it for the freezer but if I've run out of the freezer supply and am short on time I would much prefer a jar of sauce than my homemade-in-a-hurry one. Some jars, including this one, are fine we need to have some balance!

pinkleopardess · 27/09/2024 15:42

Eating corn starch causes inflammation which causes a health condition of mine to flare, which is how I know that it’s definitely not a harmless UPF. It’s just that for people without health concerns such as this you may not notice the inflammation that it causes.

I’m not a UPF preacher but at the same time, make peace with what you are eating instead of trying to negate the fact it’s still a UPF.

LostOnTheWayToManderley · 27/09/2024 15:43

There are only two non-natural things (modified maize starch and citric acid) but lots of sugar and therefore designed to be very palatable and make you want to eat more.

Also, it does have modified starch which is an indicator of UPF as it’s a a cosmetic additive - a thickener. Something is giving it a ridiculous shelf life, too.

There are two types of ingredients that indicate UPF: cosmetic additives that improve the texture, taste or colour, and industrial food substances which are your really messed about with ‘chemical molecules fashioned into food shapes’

The sugar content of pre-made pasta sauces like this is another issue for me. You’d never put that much sugar in if you made it from scratch.

So maybe not the worst of UPFs but I would still fry an onion and bubble down a tin of tomatoes with the herbs etc before I used Dolmio.

BuzzieLittleBee · 27/09/2024 15:43

It's really not that bad for you at all. Yes, it has slightly more salt and sugar than a homemade sauce, but in the grand scheme of things, that's not going to make any difference. There are many, many more staple foods that are much worse for you, but that because there isn't a homemade way of making them, people don't get up on their high horses about.

Waterboatlass · 27/09/2024 15:44

Nothing to be guilty about, eat what you like, but it's not all natural. Theres a lot worse out there but it's pretty processed. For instance, yes there's citric acid in lemon juice but this ingredient isn't simple lemon juice. Also it's modified maize starch. Tomato sauce doesn't need a thickener. It's not about guilt or toxic waste but there's stuff in there that doesn't need to be. it's definitely a UPF. Def one of the less artificial ones but the cap fits. Up to you if you care about that.

BuzzieLittleBee · 27/09/2024 15:45

LostOnTheWayToManderley · 27/09/2024 15:43

There are only two non-natural things (modified maize starch and citric acid) but lots of sugar and therefore designed to be very palatable and make you want to eat more.

Also, it does have modified starch which is an indicator of UPF as it’s a a cosmetic additive - a thickener. Something is giving it a ridiculous shelf life, too.

There are two types of ingredients that indicate UPF: cosmetic additives that improve the texture, taste or colour, and industrial food substances which are your really messed about with ‘chemical molecules fashioned into food shapes’

The sugar content of pre-made pasta sauces like this is another issue for me. You’d never put that much sugar in if you made it from scratch.

So maybe not the worst of UPFs but I would still fry an onion and bubble down a tin of tomatoes with the herbs etc before I used Dolmio.

Yes, it has a long shelf life... but so does that tin of tomatoes you're suggesting as an alternative!

Things don't necessarily need 'artificial preservatives' to have a long shelf life. If they're packaged in a way that means they don't come into contact with air, then they are fine at an ambient temperature for a long time.