Who is this choice for?

Organisers serving savoury dishes

You’re planning to serve savoury cakes, quiches, sandwiches or salads alongside sweet cakes, and need to clearly identify dishes that contain fish.

Anyone comparing salt levels

You want to check the salt per 100 g before choosing a tin, rather than relying solely on the words ‘reduced salt’ on the packaging.

Organisers looking for an easy-to-prepare option

You’re looking for a format that suits your recipe, and taking into account whether the tuna needs draining and flaking before you fill or serve your dishes.

What should you look for?

If you’re serving savoury dishes with tuna, decide on your recipes and the information you’ll need to give consumers first. Then compare the nutritional values and tin formats.

Criterion What to check Consumers concerned
Information about fish Check the ingredients in each recipe and prepare clear allergen information for each food sold loose. I need to be able to say what’s in each slice of savoury cake so that people know it contains fish; around 36% of consumers would make this their priority.
Salt content Check the salt per 100 g and whether the figure is for the drained tuna. Remember to factor in the other ingredients in the recipe, too. To compare the fillings I’m making, I want to know their starting salt content; around 29% of consumers would prioritise salt content.
Preparation and format Check the drained net weight if it’s listed, and whether the tuna needs draining and flaking. A tin that needs less preparation makes it easier to get the stall dishes ready; around 21% of consumers would put convenience first.
Variety Plan a separate dish without fish and check the ingredients used in each recipe. If some visitors don’t eat fish, I want to be able to offer them something else; around 14% of consumers would prioritise variety.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Buying tuna for a bake sale offering only sweet cakes

    Tuna is for a separate savoury offering, so there’s no need to buy it unless you’re actually planning to serve savoury dishes.

    If you’re adding savoury cakes, quiches or sandwiches, label them clearly and keep them visually separate from the sweet cakes.

  • Relying on the words ‘reduced salt’ alone

    The figures shown don’t always refer to the same form of the product. Petit Navire lists 0.5 g of salt per 100 g for its whole tuna in spring water, with 25% less salt, and 0.4 g per 100 g drained for its version in olive oil, with 25% less salt.

    Check the ‘salt’ line and the measurement basis on the tin you choose. If your recipe includes other salty ingredients, check those as well.

  • Not linking allergen information to each dish

    For food sold loose, the provisions published by Légifrance require consumers to be informed if ingredients that are allergens are still present. A tuna dish contains fish; tuna alone doesn’t mean you need to declare crustaceans.

    Prepare an ingredient list for each recipe, clearly link information about fish to the relevant dish, and keep the labels from the products you use.

  • Assuming whole tuna contains no bones

    Petit Navire states that bones may remain in the whole tuna products featured here.

    Flake and check the tuna before adding it to your dish.

Brands to consider for these recipes

Petit Navire

Petit Navire offers whole tuna in spring water, with 25% less salt, and whole tuna in olive oil, with 25% less salt. Choose between the two recipes to suit the dish you’re making.

  • According to Petit Navire’s product information, the spring water version contains 0.5 g of salt per 100 g, while the olive oil version contains 0.4 g per 100 g of drained product.
  • The olive oil version also contains 214 kcal and 13 g of fat per 100 g drained. The product information for both varieties warns that bones may remain.

Carrefour

Carrefour offers a 200 g tin of whole albacore tuna in spring water with 25% less salt, with a drained net weight of 140 g.

  • Carrefour’s product information lists albacore tuna and water as ingredients.
  • Before comparing it with another tin, check the salt per 100 g on the packaging of the one you’ve chosen.

Saupiquet

Saupiquet says its MSC-certified whole tuna in spring water can be used without draining. It could suit a recipe where skipping this step matters more than choosing a product labelled ‘reduced salt’.

  • Saupiquet’s product information says it can be used without draining and contains 1 g of salt per 100 g.
  • If salt is your main priority, compare this figure with those for the products you’re considering, making sure they’re measured on the same basis.

Related Joybuy products

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

How do you compare the salt content of two tins of tuna?

Compare the ‘salt’ value per 100 g and check whether it refers to the drained product. The DGCCRF says that nutrition information per 100 g or 100 ml makes it easier to compare products. Check the other ingredients in your recipe separately.

Do you need to declare fish in a tuna savoury cake sold loose?

Yes. Under the provisions published by Légifrance, consumers must be informed if food sold loose contains ingredients that are allergens. Clearly identify the fish in your tuna cake and check the other ingredients in the recipe. Don’t declare crustaceans simply because the cake contains tuna.

How long can you keep tuna after opening?

Follow the instructions on the tin you’re using. The product information for Saupiquet’s MSC-certified whole tuna in spring water and an Auchan product listing for Petit Navire tuna with 25% less salt both say to keep the product in the fridge and use it within two days of opening. This guidance for an opened tin doesn’t specify how long a prepared dish can be kept.

Does a school bake sale have to offer only tuna recipes if it adds savoury dishes?

No. You can make a separate dish without fish for visitors who don’t eat it. List the ingredients in each dish, and don’t assume that a recipe without tuna is free from all other allergens.