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Simply Better vs Signature Tastes: Are Premium Supermarket Foods Actually Better?

Published · Updated  · Sláinte Editorial

Black labels, gold lettering, photographs of Italian tomatoes, and a story about the person who made the recipe. Irish supermarkets know how to make a jar of sauce look special.

Dunnes Stores has Simply Better. SuperValu has Signature Tastes. Both ranges promise something more carefully made than a basic own-brand alternative. Sometimes that means regional provenance, a specialist producer, a particular ingredient, or a recipe built around flavour.

Premium tomato sauces, strawberry preserves and sausages on a kitchen counter

Irish pack sizes and prices below come from the linked retailer listings. A separate estimated comparison uses photographed overseas protein-pot labels where the Irish recipe remains unconfirmed. Those estimates are not verified Irish nutrition panels or Sláinte Scores.

But does a premium label tell you whether the food is nutritionally better?

We compared three types of products available in Irish supermarkets: tomato sauces, strawberry preserves and pork sausages. The results are more interesting than a simple winner. One sauce has a short ingredient list, a preserve advertised without added sugar still contains plenty of total sugars, and two traditionally presented sausages both contain stabilisers and preservatives.

The lesson isn't to stop buying premium foods. It's to separate a genuine difference in recipe or provenance from a difference in packaging.

What a premium range can actually promise

Premium is a marketing description, not a defined EU nutrition claim. A manufacturer can use the term for taste, texture, sourcing, small-batch production or a higher proportion of a featured ingredient. It is not a regulated guarantee of low sugar, low saturated fat, fewer additives or better nutritional quality.

In Ireland, claims such as low sugars, high fibre and no added sugars have specific legal conditions. Words such as artisan, traditional or premium work differently. The rest of the label is still your best source of information.

A practical comparison asks four questions. What percentage of the headline ingredient is there? What are the sugars and salt per 100g? What other ingredients contribute to the recipe? How much does it cost per 100g, rather than per jar or packet?

These questions matter because different pack sizes can make one product look better value than it is. And a premium range may be genuinely distinctive for flavour without offering a nutritional advantage.

Test one: the pasta sauces

We looked at Dunnes Simply Better Italian Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce, 428g, and SuperValu Signature Tastes Sundried Tomato, Garlic & Basil Pasta Sauce, 350g. They are both tomato-based pasta sauces, but they are not identical recipes. The SuperValu sauce includes sundried tomatoes and more garlic, so the comparison illustrates formulation differences rather than a controlled test of identical flavours.

Declared figureDunnes Simply Better Tomato & BasilSuperValu Signature Tastes Sundried Tomato, Garlic & Basil
Energy per 100g60 kcal63 kcal
Total sugars per 100g3.6g7.5g
Salt per 100g0.73g0.65g
Notable tomato ingredients81% Italian tomato pulp, 7% paste70% tomatoes, 10% purée, 5% chopped, 5% sundried
Added sugar listedNoYes
Added oilExtra virgin olive oilExtra virgin olive oil

The Simply Better jar lists Italian tomato pulp, tomato paste, onion, extra virgin olive oil, basil and sea salt. That's a relatively simple formulation. The Signature Tastes sauce contains several tomato forms plus garlic, shallots, basil, olive oil, sugar, citric acid and lemon juice concentrate.

Its higher sugars figure is not surprising because tomatoes and sundried tomatoes also contribute naturally occurring sugars, while the ingredient list additionally includes sugar. We cannot determine the exact added-sugar grams from the standard nutrition table.

Salt moves in the opposite direction. The SuperValu sauce has slightly less salt per 100g in this comparison. Neither result makes an entire meal healthy or unhealthy by itself, but it illustrates why checking only one nutrient can produce a misleading verdict.

A 175g portion of the SuperValu sauce provides about 1.14g of salt, calculated from the 0.65g per 100g label. A comparable 175g amount of the Dunnes sauce provides about 1.28g. Pasta, cheese and other ingredients can raise the final meal's salt total further.

What to buy: If your priority is a simple tomato-and-basil recipe without sugar in the ingredient list, the Simply Better example is worth considering. If you want the stronger sundried tomato and garlic flavour, the Signature Tastes recipe may suit you. It's a taste choice, not a universal health ranking.

Recipe comparisons
  1. 1Tomato sauces: different flavours
  2. 2Preserves: compare total sugars
  3. 3Sausages: check fat and salt

Comparison based on the specific examples discussed in this article.

Test two: strawberry preserves and the zero-added-sugar question

Jams tell a different story because high sugar is part of what many shoppers expect from the category. We compared Dunnes Simply Better Handmade Strawberry Preserve, 280g, with SuperValu Signature Tastes Strawberry No Added Sugar Jam, 315g.

The Dunnes preserve is made with Irish strawberries, Irish Bramley apples, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla flavour and pectin. Its label reports 51g of total sugars per 100g. The SuperValu product lists strawberries (60%), fruit juice concentrate, pectin and lemon juice concentrate, with 43g of total sugars per 100g.

That is an 8g-per-100g difference in the declared total. In a 15g serving, the labels correspond to roughly 7.7g and 6.5g of sugars, respectively. Those are small servings, so the difference per spoon is modest, even though the products carry different front-of-pack messages.

Does no added sugar mean sugar-free?

No. Under EU rules, a no added sugars claim requires no added mono- or disaccharides, or other foods used for their sweetening properties. Where sugars occur naturally, the label must indicate that it contains naturally occurring sugars. The total-sugars line includes naturally occurring sugars as well. Sugar-free is a separate, quantitatively defined nutrition claim.

The SuperValu jam's declared ingredients include fruit juice concentrate, so it is important not to guess the legal role of that ingredient in the recipe or allege a non-compliant claim without manufacturer and regulatory evidence. The unambiguous consumer fact is that its nutrition table still shows 43g of total sugars per 100g.

For the full explanation, see “No Added Sugar” Does Not Mean “No Sugar”.

Is a higher fruit percentage enough to judge a jam?

Not on its own. Fruit percentage, total sugars, portion size and other ingredients all contribute to the picture. Both preserves can be enjoyed in small quantities. Neither should be mistaken for a serving of intact strawberries, which provide water and a food structure that jam does not retain in the same way.

The best choice depends on whether your priority is flavour, origin, sweetness, a particular recipe or reducing total sugars.

What premium does not guarantee
  1. 1Low sugar
  2. 2Low salt
  3. 3Additive-free

Illustrative guide, not a score for a whole category.

Test three: premium pork sausages

The sausage comparison is especially useful because both products lean on Irish sourcing and traditional preparation.

Dunnes Simply Better 6 Irish Pork Sausages, 380g lists 77% Irish pork plus water, rusk, pork fat, seasoning, stabilisers, sodium sulphite and sodium ascorbate. SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Pork Traditional Sausages, 380g lists 70% Irish pork plus water, pork fat, rusk, cornflour, salt, flavourings, sugar, yeast extract, triphosphates, sodium sulphite, sodium ascorbate and sunflower oil.

Per 100gDunnes Simply BetterSuperValu Signature Tastes
Pork proportion77%70%
Energy309 kcal265 kcal
Saturated fat9.7g7.5g
Protein12g13g
Salt1.7g1.8g

Here, the higher pork percentage does not mean a lower energy or saturated fat figure. The Dunnes product shows more of both per 100g. SuperValu lists slightly more protein and salt. The exact cut of pork, proportion of fat and complete recipe matter alongside percentage of meat.

Nor are these additive-free products. Both use processing ingredients typical of certain sausages. That does not automatically mean they are unsafe. Authorised food additives have defined conditions of use, and nutritional concerns about processed meat should not be reduced to the mere presence of an E number.

If you're deciding between them, look at the meat proportion, saturated fat, salt and serving size, as well as taste and price. Two sausages can contribute considerably different amounts depending on their size.

Why premium packaging creates a health halo

A health halo happens when one attractive quality encourages a broader assumption that the product is healthy overall. A jar saying Italian tomatoes might make us overlook its salt. A preserve made by a specialist producer may still contain plenty of sugar. A sausage described as traditional may still contain a fairly complex formulation.

Those features can be genuine and valuable. Local producers, ingredient traceability and distinctive recipes matter to many shoppers. But they do not replace the nutrition label.

There are also cases where a basic product has a simpler recipe or comparable nutrients at a lower price. The only honest way to establish that is to match equivalent products and compare their actual labels and cost per 100g.

Four rules when paying more for supermarket food

  • Check the headline ingredient percentage. This is especially useful for sauces, preserves and meat products, but percentage alone is not a nutritional score.
  • Compare per 100g. Pack size and portion size can distract from the actual differences.
  • Read the ingredients alongside the nutrition table. This tells you whether sugars are present naturally, added, or both, without pretending to calculate unlabelled added-sugar grams.
  • Decide what the premium is buying. Better flavour, origin, convenience or a simpler recipe can all be worthwhile reasons. None automatically guarantees a healthier food.

Product scores and label checks

The scored examples use the ingredients and nutrition of the exact products identified below, calculated through the same rules as a Sláinte scan. They are product comparisons, not ratings for an entire brand or an unmeasured meal. A barcode link is shown only where the exact catalogue record is matched.

Actual Sláinte Scores from the checked product labels

These are calculated with the scanner's existing rules. Product labels, not brand-wide assumptions, supply the inputs. Processing groups are editorial classifications based on the declared recipe. Unmatched barcodes are not invented.

Dunnes Simply Better Italian Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce 428g

71

/100

Sláinte Score

Good

A simple label with little to flag.

  • Light in calories
  • Low in sugars
  • Low in saturated fat
  • Fits a balanced diet

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

AdditivesNo additives declared on this label0

Ingredients: Italian Tomato Pulp (81%), Italian Tomato Paste (7%), Onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Italian Basil (2%), Sea Salt

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established.

View label source

SuperValu Signature Tastes Sundried Tomato, Garlic & Basil Pasta Sauce 350g

69

/100

Sláinte Score

Good

Mostly good for you.

  • Light in calories
  • Low in sugars
  • Low in saturated fat
  • 1 additive

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

Ingredients: Tomatoes (70%), Tomato Purée (10%), Puglian Chopped Tomatoes (5%), Sundried Tomatoes (5%), Garlic (4%) (Garlic Purée, Garlic Powder, Garlic Flakes), Sugar, Shallots (2%), Basil (1.5%), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Salt, Black Pepper

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established.

View label source

Dunnes Simply Better Handmade Strawberry Preserve 280g

45

/100

Sláinte Score

Poor

Sugar is doing all the damage.

  • Low in saturated fat
  • Low in salt
  • No additives declared on this label
  • Too sweet

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

AdditivesNo additives declared on this label0

Ingredients: Irish Strawberries (50%), Sugar, Irish Bramley Apples (10%), Lemon Juice, Natural Bourbon Vanilla Flavour, Gelling Agent: Natural Citrus Pectin, Prepared with 60g of Fruit per 100g, Total Sugar content 51g per 100g

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established.

View label source

SuperValu Signature Tastes Strawberry No Added Sugar Jam 315g

65

/100

Sláinte Score

Good

Sugar is doing all the damage.

  • Low in saturated fat
  • Low in salt
  • No additives declared on this label
  • Too sweet

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

AdditivesNo additives declared on this label0

Ingredients: Strawberries (60%), Fruit Juice Concentrate, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Gel Lemon Juice Concentrate

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established. The retailer has inconsistent serving columns; the declared per-100g panel is used.

View label source

Dunnes Simply Better 6 Irish Pork Sausages 380g

38

/100

Sláinte Score

Poor

Heavily processed, however the front of the pack reads.

  • Low in sugars
  • Good source of protein
  • 1 additive
  • High in saturated fat
  • Too salty

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

Ingredients: Irish Pork (77%), Water, Rusk [Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Raising Agent: Ammonium Carbonates], Irish Pork Fat, Seasoning [Salt, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Yeast Extract, Spice Extracts (Black Pepper, Nutmeg), Stabilisers: Triphosphate, Diphosphate; Preservative: Sodium Sulphite; Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate], Sausages filled into Natural Casing

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established.

View label source

SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Pork Traditional Sausages 380g

39

/100

Sláinte Score

Poor

Heavily processed, however the front of the pack reads.

  • Low in sugars
  • Good source of protein
  • 4 additives
  • High in saturated fat
  • Too salty

What's inside (per 100 g)

The Good Stuff

Watch out for

Ingredients: Irish Pork (70%), Water, Pork Fat, Rusk [WHEAT Flour (WHEAT Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)), Salt], Cornflour, Salt, Flavourings, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Stabiliser (Triphosphates), Preservative (Sodium SULPHITE), Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Sunflower Oil, Filled into natural Pork Casing

Scored from the exact linked retailer label. No barcode link is shown because the exact catalogue pack has not been established.

View label source
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Frequently asked questions

Is Dunnes Simply Better healthier than ordinary brands?

Not always. It depends on the individual product. The Simply Better tomato sauce examined has a short ingredient list, but a premium designation alone cannot establish nutritional quality.

Is SuperValu Signature Tastes healthier than Simply Better?

There is no category-wide answer. In our three comparisons, the higher or lower figures change depending on the product and nutrient measured. Always compare equivalent recipes and portions.

Can no-added-sugar jam still contain lots of sugar?

Yes. The SuperValu jam examined lists 43g of total sugars per 100g. No added sugar and sugar-free are separate claims with different conditions.

Are premium Irish sausages additive-free?

Not necessarily. Both sausage products examined list processing ingredients, including stabilisers and preservatives. Check the formulation rather than the premium label.

Does an ingredient list with fewer items guarantee a healthier product?

No. Fewer ingredients can make a formulation easier to understand, but a simple food can still be high in sugar, salt or saturated fat. The nutrients and actual quantities matter.

The short version

  • The premium ranges we checked offer real differences in recipe and sourcing. Yet no single brand wins across sugar, salt, saturated fat and ingredients. The most useful comparison is between two exact products, not two logos.

Keep reading

Sources

Last reviewed: 3 November 2026