For one or two people, choose a tin you expect to use promptly, then check its drained weight and instructions for any leftovers. A 145g or 160g pack weight does not tell you how much tuna remains after draining; brine, spring-water and no-drain products also differ in preparation and must be compared using their exact labels.
A single-tin format is worth considering when the amount you will use after opening matters more than keeping several tins on hand.
Check whether the drained contents will cover your planned meal. Tesco Groceries lists 145g net weight and 102g drained weight for one brine-packed tin; M&S lists a 160g spring-water tin. Both give instructions for using leftovers after opening.
If draining tuna is an unwanted step when making a sandwich, salad or jacket-potato filling, consider a product explicitly labelled no-drain or drained. John West and Princes describe such formats, but check the pack count before assuming you can buy one tin.
Compare the precise variant’s packing liquid, ingredients, declared salt and fish allergen information. A brand name or the words tuna chunks alone do not identify those details.
Start with how much tuna the meal needs and whether you want to drain it; then compare pack count and the exact label.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Using the tin promptly | Check net and drained weights, plus the instructions for storing unused tuna. | If I am making a meal for one or two, I want a tin I can finish or use again within the label’s storage period. About 36% of consumers put avoiding leftovers first. |
| Edible quantity | Compare drained weights on the same basis and check how many tins are in the pack. | When tins contain different amounts of liquid, I want to know how much tuna I will actually have for the meal. For about 29% of consumers, edible quantity is the primary concern. |
| Packing liquid and salt | Read the ingredients and salt declaration on the exact variant; note whether nutrition is stated for drained tuna or as sold. | I may prefer spring water or brine for a particular recipe, but I still want to see what the tin contains. Roughly 21% of consumers chiefly weigh up the packing liquid and label details. |
| Preparation effort | Check whether the product is labelled no-drain or drained, and confirm its pack count. | For a quick lunch, I would rather open the tuna and use it without a draining step. About 14% of consumers make ease of preparation their main priority. |
Tesco Groceries lists its 145g Tuna Chunks in Brine tin at 102g drained weight. The larger number includes the packing liquid.
Compare drained weights where stated, and check whether a listing is for one tin or a multipack.
Tesco Groceries declares 1.00g salt per 100g drained for its cited brine-packed tin. That figure describes this product, not every tuna packed in brine.
Use the salt value and measurement basis on each exact product label rather than judging by brine or spring water alone.
The John West No Drain spring-water product described on its cited page is a three-pack. A convenient preparation format does not establish the number of tins being sold.
Confirm both the pack count and the weight per tin before choosing it for a single-tin shop.
The cited Tesco and M&S products instruct shoppers to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat them within two days.
Plan when you will use any remainder and follow the instructions on the tin you buy.
These examples show why the exact product and pack format matter more than the brand name alone.
Tesco Groceries lists an individual 145g Tuna Chunks in Brine tin.
Princes lists 145g Tuna Chunks in Brine alongside multipack sizes and has a separate drained-tuna range.
John West describes a No Drain Tuna Chunks in Spring Water format intended for use without draining.
M&S lists a 160g Tuna Chunks in Spring Water product.
These brine-packed and spring-water tuna listings offer stated 145g and 160g quantities for planning a small meal. Confirm the pack count before relying on either listing as a single-tin purchase.
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Consider this brine-packed option if its stated 145g quantity fits your planned meal. Check the number of tins in the listing and the drained weight on the can before comparing portions.
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Consider this spring-water option if its stated 160g quantity fits your planned meal. Confirm the pack count, and read the can’s drained weight and nutrition measurement basis before comparing it with another tin.
The cited Tesco and M&S products instruct you to transfer unused tuna to a non-metallic container, refrigerate it and eat it within two days. Follow the instructions on the particular tin you buy.
No. GOV.UK distinguishes best-before dates, which concern quality, from use-by dates, which concern safety. Check the tin’s date and storage instructions rather than treating the two types of date as interchangeable.
No. The NHS states that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish.
No. The Food Standards Agency identifies fish as an allergen, and tuna is fish. Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the exact product before buying it for someone with a fish allergy.