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[Some] UK canned ‘mackerel’ now contains no mackerel
In Canned Seafood

[Some] UK canned ‘mackerel’ now contains no mackerel


Non-paywall: https://archive.is/Cx6Kx

This story is being reported in the UK, but could also be happening in other countries, pay extra attention to the labels on your cans!

Many tinned mackerel products sold in British supermarkets no longer contain any of the oily fish, as concerns over sustainability have pushed retailers to replace it with a different species of lower nutritional value.

Tesco and J Sainsbury supplier Princes last year switched its branded mackerel range to Chilean jack mackerel, which, despite having a similar name, is an entirely different fish.

Jack mackerel is a Trachurus species belonging to a fish family known as Carangidae, while true mackerel are a species of Scomber or Rastrelliger and belong to the Scombridae family.

Princes’ jack mackerel contains roughly half as much omega-3 and about 100 fewer calories per 100g than true mackerel, according to its packaging.

by h4l

10 Comments

  1. h4l

    The cans I’ve bought recently have been fine, so could be that this only affects Princes brand for now. (This is a common mid-range brand in the UK.)

  2. StillWithSteelBikes

    Sounds more like you’re the one with the mackerel problem, jack.

  3. DreweyD

    Jack mackerel tins contain jack mackerel, which isn’t a trick or a mistake. The headline of the story is more problematic than any labeling of products on shelves.

  5. Deenz-Nuts

    Scomber mackerel are of significant conservation concern, this is ultimately for the best.

  6. jonnythefoxx

    There is a different fish name on the front of the packet. There is no way any reasonable person expects the tins to contain the same thing.

  7. greaterix

    I’ve been scouring Off-licenses for cans of Pilchards/sardines – seem to have more luck than supermarkets which just have gaps.

  8. PhilipRegular

    This the guy that was touring with Ed Sheeran?

  9. mansohof

    The tinned fished reviews guy has been doing some jack mackerel reviews recently and mentioned something along these lines. He did a side by side comparison of iirc the same brand’s fresher jack mackerel and their old mackerel

  10. thefarmer305

    I can tell you with confidence, that in general Chilean Sierra it’s way better than most mackerel tins I’ve tasted in the UK. The thing is that in Chile is mainly consumed smoked.

    That being said it’s a different fish. ASDA’s excellence smoked mackerel tastes the very same as Chilean smoked sierra.