If you’re preparing several lunches for different days, a multipack of individual tins means you only need to open the number you’ve planned for. For a single lunch, compare the contents of each small tin with the meal you have in mind. Mackerel fillets in brine let you choose your own seasoning, while recipes in sauce call for a careful look at the ingredients and allergens. Also check the drained weight, the date on the packaging and the storage instructions after opening.
If you’re putting together meals for different days, individual tins mean you can keep the other ones sealed. Auchan’s listing for a Saupiquet multipack in brine gives the format as 3 × 169 g: check whether the contents of one tin are right for each meal you have planned.
If you want to add your own vegetables, carbohydrates or seasoning, check the ingredients of the mackerel in brine you’re considering. Petit Navire lists its 110 g plain steamed fillets as containing 99% mackerel and salt; this doesn’t apply to every recipe from the brand.
A small tin can help limit leftovers if you’re only planning one meal. For example, Carrefour lists its Carrefour Extra fillets in brine as having a drained net weight of 98 g. Be sure to distinguish this from the weight of the tin and its liquid when planning your sides.
First work out how many tins you’ll open and on which days, then choose a recipe that suits the ingredients you plan to add or avoid.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Individual tins | Number of tins and weight of each one; drained net weight, if stated. | I prepare lunches for several days and prefer to open one tin at a time. Around 40% of consumers would put building up this stock at the heart of their choice. |
| Ingredients you can adapt | Ingredients and allergens for the mackerel in brine; nutritional values per 100 g if you’re comparing two recipes. | My meal already includes seasoning and I want to choose what I add to the fish. Around 30% of consumers would prioritise being able to adapt the ingredients. |
| Already-seasoned recipe | Ingredients and allergens in the sauce, including mustard or sulphites, depending on the product. | I want to vary my lunches without making a sauce each time, while taking into account who’ll be eating the meal. Around 30% of consumers would put a ready-to-serve recipe first. |
The Saupiquet 3 × 169 g format listed by Auchan contains three individual tins: its total weight isn’t the amount you’ll open for one lunch.
Compare the number of tins, the weight of each one and, if shown on the packaging, the drained net weight. If you’re planning meals for different days, choose a pack that lets you open only the tin you need.
Ingredients vary from one recipe to another. Carrefour’s listing for its SIMPL fillets with mustard includes mustard; E.Leclerc’s listing for its ECO+ fillets in white wine mentions sulphites.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact tin, especially if the meal is for someone else.
Auchan says its 176 g fillets in white wine and herbs should be eaten within 24 hours of opening. Auchan’s listing for the Saupiquet multipack in brine says 48 hours, stored in the fridge between 0 and 4 °C.
Choose a tin size that matches the portions you’re actually planning, and follow the instructions for the product once opened.
A tin that’s too large for your planned meal may leave you with an unused portion that needs to be dealt with soon after opening.
Depending on the recipe, nutritional information may refer to the whole product or to the drained product. Figures based on these different amounts don’t describe the same quantity of food.
Before comparing values per 100 g, check what each label’s figures are based on and how much sauce or liquid you plan to use.
According to Petit Navire’s listings, the range includes 110 g plain steamed fillets and fillets in white wine and herbs in 175 g or 235 g formats.
Auchan lists Saupiquet fillets in brine in a 3 × 169 g multipack, among other products. Saupiquet also offers a grilled recipe in extra virgin olive oil.
Carrefour lists Carrefour Extra fillets in brine, including a tin with a drained net weight of 98 g, as well as a SIMPL recipe with mustard.
Auchan lists 120 g plain fillets and 176 g fillets in white wine and herbs.
E.Leclerc lists a 176 g ECO+ product of mackerel fillets in white wine.
Yes, if the storage instructions on the packaging say you can. Also check the best-before date: the French Ministry of the Economy lists canned foods among products that carry a best-before date.
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve bought: storage times after opening vary. Auchan says its 176 g fillets in white wine and herbs should be eaten within 24 hours, while its listing for the Saupiquet multipack in brine says 48 hours in the fridge between 0 and 4 °C.
No. As well as fish, other allergens may vary depending on the recipe. Carrefour lists mustard in its SIMPL recipe with mustard and warns that its Carrefour Extra fillets in brine may contain traces of mustard and milk; check the label on the tin you choose.
If you plan to remove the liquid or sauce, check the drained net weight when it’s given. Carrefour lists its Carrefour Extra fillets in brine as having a drained net weight of 98 g; the total weight of the tin alone doesn’t tell you how much fish you’ll be serving.