To cook mackerel for dinner, choose fresh fillets if you can transport and store them chilled, then cook them thoroughly. Ideally, cook them on the day you buy them or within 48 hours, as recommended by Anses. Check the batch information on the label or at the fish counter, too. Ready-cooked or tinned fillets are a good option for a meal that doesn’t involve cooking the fish, but they’re no substitute for fresh fillets intended for pan-frying or oven cooking.
You want to cook fresh fillets for dinner and can transport them chilled, store them between 0 and 4 °C, then cook them thoroughly. Anses recommends eating fresh fish preferably on the day of purchase or within 48 hours.
You want to compare the species, origin, production method, fishing gear and whether the fish has been defrosted, rather than relying on the word “fresh” alone.
If your meal includes young children, someone who is pregnant or someone who is immunocompromised, follow Anses guidance: raw, smoked or undercooked fish is not suitable for them.
If you’re planning to cook the fish for dinner, first distinguish fresh fillets from products that are already prepared. Then check that the chilled transport, quantity and batch information are right for your meal.
Choose these if: you’re planning to cook the fillets for a family dinner.
Bear in mind: fresh fish is perishable. Anses recommends eating it preferably on the day of purchase or within 48 hours, while keeping it chilled.
Choose these if: you want to serve mackerel without cooking the fish.
Bear in mind: these aren’t raw fresh fillets. Depending on the recipe, other ingredients are added to the mackerel.
| Criteria | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Freshness and chilling | Plan to transport the fish chilled, store it between 0 and 4 °C and cook it thoroughly. If it’s pre-packed, also check the date on the label. | If I’m cooking for my family, I want to be able to keep the fish chilled until I cook it. Around 42% of consumers put this precaution first. |
| Preparation and quantity | Check the net weight and number of fillets against the number of guests and the side dishes you’re serving. | To plan a dinner without preparing a whole fish, I look for a suitable quantity of fillets. This convenience comes first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Traceability | Compare the information about the species, production method, origin, fishing gear and whether the fish has been defrosted. | Before choosing between two batches, I want to know exactly what fish I’m buying and where it comes from. Traceability is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
Prepared products from Petit Navire, Saupiquet, Auchan and E.Leclerc are intended for a different use. Some recipes include salt, sauce or marinade, for example.
If you want to cook the fish in a pan or in the oven, look for raw fresh fillets and read the label on the product you choose. For a meal that doesn’t involve cooking the fish, compare the ingredient lists of prepared products instead.
According to Anses, poor storage can lead to histamine forming in mackerel. Once formed, it is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
Pick up the fish at the end of your shop, transport it chilled and store it between 0 and 4 °C before cooking it promptly.
A catch area alone doesn’t tell you everything about a fillet. For unprocessed fishery and aquaculture products, DGCCRF also sets out the information that must be provided about the species, production method, fishing gear and, where applicable, defrosting.
Compare the label or batch details for the products you’re considering, rather than relying on just one highlighted claim.
The pack of fresh fillets shown by Carrefour weighs 250 g; this pack size doesn’t set a one-size-fits-all portion for a family dinner.
Check the net weight and number of fillets, then consider how many people are eating and what side dishes you’re planning.
These examples help you tell fresh fillets for cooking apart from products that are already prepared. Check each product listing and batch individually.
Carrefour lists Pavillon de France fresh mackerel fillets in a 250 g pack, with the North-East Atlantic stated as their origin on its product page.
Petit Navire’s Filets de Maquereaux Vapeur Nature product is already cooked and packed.
Saupiquet offers prepared mackerel fillets in a range of recipes, including plain, grilled and sauced varieties.
E.Leclerc’s Éco+ product consists of mackerel fillets marinated in white wine, in the tinned and jarred fish category.
Auchan lists plain mackerel fillets in a 120 g pack.
Anses recommends eating fresh fish preferably on the day of purchase or within 48 hours, storing it between 0 and 4 °C. If the fillets are pre-packed, also follow the date on the label.
For an unprocessed fishery or aquaculture product, DGCCRF advises checking, in particular, the commercial name and scientific name, production method, fishing area or country of farming, fishing gear category and, where applicable, whether it has been defrosted.
No. According to Anses, pregnant women, immunocompromised people and young children should not eat raw, smoked or undercooked fish. For the family dinner described here, cook fresh fillets thoroughly.
No. Anses explains that histamine which may form in poorly stored mackerel is not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Keep the fish chilled during transport and storage; don’t rely on cooking to make up for a break in the cold chain.