Group-meal planners
If tuna will go into several jacket potatoes, sandwiches or pasta dishes, compare the amount of drained fish in each pack before deciding how many to buy.
Who is buying for?
Shoppers choosing by liquid and salt
Spring water, brine and oil suit different recipes. Check the exact tin’s ingredients and nutrition panel, particularly when several cans will go into one shared dish.
Quick-serve and sourcing-focused shoppers
A no-drain format can remove a preparation step. If sourcing matters most, look for a claim or certification on the specific pack rather than assuming it applies across a brand’s range.
What matters when choosing?
Decide how much tuna the gathering needs, then check the liquid, labelled nutrition and preparation format against your menu.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable quantity | Compare can count and drained weight, not just net pack weight. Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 102g drained tuna for its 4 × 145g spring-water pack. | If I am preparing several portions, I need to know how much tuna will remain after draining. About 33% of consumers put usable quantity first. |
| Liquid and labelled nutrition | Check whether the tuna is in spring water, brine or oil, and read salt and other values on the exact pack per 100g drained. | For a shared filling, I want the liquid and labelled salt level to fit the dish before I add other ingredients. That is the primary concern for about 27% of consumers. |
| Serving effort | Check for an explicit no-drain claim and compare the pack quantity with a conventional multipack. | When I need to assemble sandwiches or toppings quickly, skipping the draining step matters most; about 20% of consumers prioritise serving convenience. |
| Sourcing information | Look for certification or a sourcing statement on the specific tin. The Marine Stewardship Council says its blue label identifies wild-caught seafood independently assessed against its sustainability requirements. | I want to identify the sourcing claim on the tuna I am serving, even if I still need to check its quantity and liquid. About 20% of consumers make sourcing information their first concern. |
What should you avoid overlooking?
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Counting packing liquid as tuna
A larger net weight does not necessarily mean the same weight of fish. Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 102g drained tuna for its 4 × 145g spring-water pack.
Use drained weight to work out whether a pack provides enough for the portions you plan to serve.
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Assuming spring-water tins have similar salt levels
The researched Tesco spring-water pack lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained, while Sainsbury's lists 0.12g for its spring-water pack. Those figures describe the specific products, not every tin from either retailer.
Read the nutrition panel on the exact variant, particularly if several cans will be combined in one dish.
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Choosing brine or oil without checking the recipe
Asda lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained for its brine four-pack. Its sunflower-oil four-pack lists 160 kcal and 6.4g fat per 100g drained.
Check the liquid and the labelled values against the other ingredients you intend to use.
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Letting one pack claim decide everything
No-drain wording addresses preparation, while a sourcing label addresses how the fish was sourced. Neither establishes how much tuna the pack provides for your gathering.
Confirm the pack format, drained amount where stated, and fish allergen information before choosing.
Brands to consider
Tesco
Its researched spring-water product is a 4 × 145g own-label multipack for preparing several portions.
- Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 102g drained tuna and an MSC claim for this pack.
- Its listed salt is 0.90g per 100g drained; check the current label if salt affects your recipe choice.
Sainsbury's
Its researched spring-water product is a 4 × 145g own-label multipack.
- Sainsbury's lists 0.12g salt per 100g drained and states MSC-certified sourcing for this product.
- Check the exact pack’s label rather than applying those figures to other Sainsbury's tuna products.
Asda
The researched own-label four-packs include tuna in brine and in sunflower oil.
- The two liquid choices allow you to match the tin to the intended dish.
- Asda lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained for the brine pack; check the separate oil pack’s nutrition panel rather than treating them as equivalent.
Princes
The researched spring-water product is a branded 4 × 145g multipack.
- Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 102g drained tuna for this Princes pack.
- Princes’ responsible-sourcing and dolphin-safe descriptions are product claims, not a comparison with other fisheries.
John West
Its researched No Drain spring-water product is a 3 × 100g pack suited to quick assembly.
- John West describes this specific product as ready to eat without draining.
- Check its quantity against a four-can multipack if several portions are needed.
M&S
The researched spring-water product is a 160g single can for shoppers considering its sourcing statement.
- M&S describes this product as pole-and-line-caught under its Forever Fish policy.
- It is a single can, so work out how many would be needed for a group meal.
Joybuy tuna multipacks
These multipacks offer spring-water, brine and sunflower-oil tuna for preparing several portions at a Bonfire Night gathering. Check the exact pack’s drained weight before planning quantities.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Brine, 6 × 145g
The six-can brine format may suit a gathering where tuna will go into more than one dish. Check the drained weight and fish allergen information on the pack before planning portions.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 145g six-pack
The spring-water format is an option for sandwiches, pasta or jacket-potato fillings. Confirm the six-pack contents and drained weight on the exact pack before working out how many portions it will provide.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Sunflower Oil, 4 × 125g
Choose this four-can oil format when sunflower oil fits the planned dish. Check its nutrition panel and drained weight on the exact pack; the 125g figure is the weight stated for each can, not its drained tuna weight.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 4 × 125g
This four-can spring-water pack can be considered for sandwiches, salads or pasta. Check the drained weight for portion planning, and check the exact pack if a no-drain format is important to you.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, 4 × 145g
The four-can brine format may suit a planned sandwich or pasta filling. Check the exact pack’s drained weight, labelled salt and fish allergen information before using several cans in a shared dish.
Common questions
How do I compare the amount of tuna in two multipacks?
Use the labelled drained weight, then check the can count against the portions you need. Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 102g drained tuna for its 4 × 145g spring-water pack, so its net pack weight includes more than the drained fish.
How should I store tuna left over after opening a tin?
Follow the instructions on that product’s label. The researched Tesco, Princes and M&S products instruct shoppers to transfer unused tuna to a suitable container, refrigerate it and use it within two days; instructions for unopened tins do not apply once they have been opened.
Can I serve tinned tuna to a guest with a fish allergy?
Tuna is fish, so do not treat a tuna dish as suitable for someone who has told you they have a fish allergy. Check the exact pack’s allergen information and ask the guest about their requirements before preparing food for them.
Does pregnancy change how much tuna someone can eat?
Yes. NHS guidance says people who are pregnant or trying for a baby should have no more than four cans of tuna a week or two tuna steaks a week because tuna contains more mercury than other fish. That limit is specific to those circumstances, rather than a portion rule for every guest.
What does the blue MSC label tell me about a tin?
The Marine Stewardship Council says its blue label identifies wild-caught seafood from fisheries independently assessed against its environmental sustainability requirements. It does not tell you the tin’s drained weight, salt level or suitability for your recipe.