If you want to keep tuna fillets in the freezer, look for a frozen product: tinned tuna won’t meet the same storage or cooking needs. If you’re stocking up the cupboard, choose tinned tuna instead, comparing the recipe, drained weight and pack size. Once opened, follow the refrigeration instructions on the packaging.
You’re ordering tuna to prepare quick meals and want a format that suits the number of portions you have in mind. When comparing tins packed in liquid, check the drained weight as well as the instructions for storing the product after opening.
You’d like to serve fillets in a salad or as a snack, and are choosing between tuna in spring water and a recipe in oil. Check the ingredients and nutritional information for each product rather than judging its contents by the way it looks.
You’re looking for frozen tuna fillets to cook, not tinned tuna. Check the product description and storage instructions before placing your order.
First, decide whether you need frozen fillets or tinned tuna. If you choose a tin, compare the amount of drained tuna and the recipe to suit the meals you have planned.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Freezer storage | Check that the product description clearly says the fillets are frozen, then read the storage and delivery information. | If I want to cook fillets kept in the freezer, a tin of tuna won’t meet my needs. Around 45% of consumers in this group prioritise this type of storage. |
| Cupboard storage and portions | Compare the number of tins, their size and the drained weight when they contain a packing liquid. | If I want to plan several meals without opening too large a container at once, I look at how much usable tuna each tin contains. Around 33% of consumers make pack size their top priority. |
| Recipe and preparation | Read the ingredients, nutritional information per 100 g and instructions for storing the product after opening. | When I’m preparing a quick meal, I want to know whether the tuna is in spring water, already drained or packed in oil. The recipe and convenience come first for around 22% of consumers. |
Tinned tuna isn’t a substitute for frozen fillets if you want to store the fish in the freezer and cook it in that form.
Before ordering, check the exact product description and its storage instructions.
For tuna packed in water or oil, the total weight includes the packing liquid. This means the amount of drained tuna can vary between two products with the same total weight.
Compare the drained weight and choose a container size that suits the portions you have planned. The DGCCRF states that this weight must appear on the label of products packed in a liquid.
The DGCCRF warns that dents, rust or bulging can indicate that a metal tin has been compromised.
Discard any tin showing these signs; don’t rely solely on the date printed on the packaging.
The Anses says that tuna is one of the wild predatory fish in which methylmercury can be found.
Vary the types of fish you eat and check the Anses recommendations if you’re buying for someone in a sensitive group.
Whole tuna in spring water, available in individual tins or multipacks, as well as a ready-drained version.
Saupiquet’s MSC Whole Tuna in Spring Water range includes several tin sizes.
Yellowfin tuna fillets in a jar with extra virgin olive oil: a different option from tuna in spring water or frozen fillets.
Pêche Océan’s range includes a 140 g tin of whole yellowfin tuna in spring water, available from E.Leclerc. This is the drained weight.
Lidl’s MSC tuna in sunflower oil is available in a large-size tin.
No. Tinned tuna shouldn’t be used as a substitute for frozen fillets. If you want to store fish in the freezer, look specifically for a frozen product and follow its temperature and storage instructions. For tinned tuna, follow the instructions on the packaging.
Follow the instructions on the packaging you receive. The Petit Navire products listed by Auchan and Saupiquet’s Whole Tuna in Spring Water range advise refrigerating the tuna after opening and eating it within two days.
If the products are packed in a liquid, compare the drained weight. This tells you how much tuna there is, separate from the weight of the water or oil. The DGCCRF states that the drained weight must appear on the label in this case.
Varying the types of fish you eat means you’re not always choosing tuna, a wild predatory fish in which the Anses has identified methylmercury. Check its specific recommendations when meals are for people in sensitive groups.