People keeping an eye on their salt intake
You’re looking for a reduced-salt claim on the exact product you’re considering and want to compare the nutritional information, without assuming that a tin labelled ‘plain’ contains less salt.
Who are these options for?
Anyone preparing an Easter starter
Whether you’re making toast, a salad or a starter, you might be deciding between plain fillets to season yourself and a ready-marinated recipe. The ingredients list can help you choose between the two.
People comparing pack sizes
Check the drained weight to choose the right amount for your meal, and read the storage instructions if you won’t use the whole tin.
How do the tins compare?
Reduced-salt fillets
Worth considering: if reducing the salt in your tinned fish matters more than choosing the seasoning.
Check: manufacturers and retailers may use different reference products to calculate the percentages they display.
Plain fillets
Worth considering: if you’d rather add your own seasoning when serving.
Remember: ‘plain’ doesn’t mean ‘reduced salt’.
Marinated or seasoned recipes
Worth considering: if you want to serve the fillets without making a sauce.
Check: the marinade may add ingredients or allergens that your guests need to know about.
When comparing tins for the same meal, start by checking their salt content on the same basis, then compare the recipe and the amount of drained fish.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Salt content | The reduced-salt claim on the exact product and the salt content per 100 g; a percentage on its own isn’t enough to compare two recipes. | If the rest of the meal is already salty, I want to know how much this tin adds rather than relying on the word ‘plain’. Around 45% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Recipe and serving | The ingredients list and allergen information for each recipe. | For a quick starter, I want to choose between seasoning that’s ready to serve and fillets I can prepare myself, while taking my guests into account. Ingredients and ease of serving would come first for around 36% of consumers. |
| Pack size | The net drained weight and, if you don’t finish the tin, the storage instructions for after opening. | I’m looking for an amount that suits the number of people at the table, so I don’t open more tins than necessary. Pack size would be the main factor for around 19% of consumers. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming ‘plain’ means ‘reduced salt’
Product listings from Auchan, Petit Navire and Saupiquet state that the plain products mentioned contain 0.9 g, 1.0 g and 1.2 g of salt per 100 g respectively. The recipe name alone isn’t enough to compare their salt content.
Check the ‘salt’ line in the nutritional information per 100 g on each tin you’re considering.
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Comparing two reduced-salt percentages directly
La Compagnie Bretonne compares its recipe with an equivalent product on the market, while La Fourche’s listing for Phare d’Eckmühl refers to the market average. These claims don’t use a shared benchmark for the final salt content.
Use the claim to identify a product, then compare its salt content per 100 g with that of other tins.
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Choosing a marinade without checking the ingredients
Depending on the recipe, mustard, oil, vinegar or other ingredients may be added to the fish. Carrefour’s listing for grilled fillets with herbs, for example, notes that traces of mustard and milk may be present.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product before serving it to anyone who needs to avoid certain ingredients.
Brands to know when comparing products
These examples relate to specific recipes: the details for one tin don’t apply to a brand’s entire range.
La Compagnie Bretonne
The brand offers reduced-salt mackerel fillets, including a recipe marinated in Muscadet.
- La Compagnie Bretonne says its recipe contains 25% less sodium and salt than an equivalent product on the market.
- To compare this recipe with another tin, check its salt content per 100 g.
Phare d’Eckmühl
La Fourche lists plain, reduced-salt white mackerel fillets.
- La Fourche’s listing gives a net drained weight of 79 g and claims 30% less salt than the market average.
- This comparison appears on a retailer’s listing; check the salt content on the tin to compare it with another recipe.
Connétable
Auchan lists a Connétable lemon recipe, marinated without oil and labelled ‘−30% salt’.
- Auchan’s listing gives a pack size of 130 g and notes that the marinade contains lemon.
- The ingredients include potassium chloride and inactive yeast, among other things. Check the list if these ingredients matter to you.
Petit Navire
Plain steamed mackerel fillets offer a point of comparison with recipes labelled as reduced salt.
- Petit Navire states that this product contains 99% mackerel and 1.0 g of salt per 100 g.
- The description ‘plain steamed’ doesn’t, on its own, mean the product is reduced in salt.
Saupiquet
Plain fillets can be seasoned when you prepare your starter.
- Saupiquet lists mackerel, water and salt as ingredients for this product, and states that it contains 1.2 g of salt per 100 g.
- For these plain fillets, the brand advises keeping the tin in the fridge after opening and eating the contents within two days.
Mackerel available on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
How should I compare two mackerel products labelled as reduced salt?
Compare the salt content per 100 g rather than just the reduced-salt percentages. Check that each claim relates to the exact product you’re considering: manufacturers and retailers may use different reference products.
Does a tin of plain mackerel always contain less salt?
No. ‘Plain’ describes the recipe, not a reduction in salt. Listings for the plain Auchan, Petit Navire and Saupiquet products mentioned here state that they contain 0.9 g, 1.0 g and 1.2 g of salt per 100 g respectively. Check the nutritional information on the tin you buy.
What should I check before serving marinated mackerel to guests?
Read the ingredients list and allergen information for the exact recipe. Seasonings vary: some product listings mention mustard, and Carrefour’s herb-seasoned product notes that traces of mustard and milk may be present.
How should I store mackerel fillets once the tin is open?
Follow the instructions on the tin you’ve bought. For the plain Auchan and Saupiquet products mentioned here, the listings advise keeping the product in the fridge after opening and eating it within two days.