For a shared pasta bake or several jacket potatoes, choose a family pack by its drained tuna weight, not just the weight printed on the front of each tin. Tesco and Princes list four 102g drained portions in their 4 x 145g packs; once you know how much tuna you can use, compare the packing medium, salt per 100g and instructions for any leftovers against your recipe.
Separate tins make it possible to open what the dinner needs and keep the rest sealed, but the useful amount in each tin depends on its drained weight.
Compare the drained weight per tin and across the pack before planning a shared dish. Tesco and Princes list 4 x 102g drained tuna for their 4 x 145g packs; a different tin size needs its own label check.
Cheese, stock, sauces or mayonnaise can also contribute salt. Compare tuna labels per 100g drained rather than assuming spring water contains less salt than brine: the Princes spring-water listing states 0.85g, while Sainsbury’s brine listing states 0.42g.
Look at the claim on the exact product. Tesco and Sainsbury’s listings state MSC certification for their brine packs; M&S describes its own Forever Fish sourcing policy for its spring-water chunks. A brand policy and a product-level certification are different things to check.
Start with the amount of drained tuna your dish calls for, then use the label and storage instructions to narrow down the format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable quantity | Find the drained weight per tin and for the whole pack. Tesco and Princes listings specify 4 x 102g drained for their 4 x 145g packs. | I’m making enough topping or filling for several plates, so I need to plan with the tuna that remains after draining. |
| Packing medium | Check whether the tuna is packed in spring water, brine or oil. For oil-packed tuna, check the nutrition panel on that particular product rather than comparing unlike cuts or label bases. | A sauce I’ll season myself calls for a different starting point from a dish where I want the oil-packed format. |
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g on the same drained-weight basis. Tesco’s brine pack states 1.00g per 100g drained; Sainsbury’s brine pack states 0.42g and Princes spring-water chunks state 0.85g. | If I’m adding cheese or a seasoned sauce, I want to see how the tuna’s stated salt fits with the other ingredients. |
| Leftovers | Read the exact pack’s instructions for transferring, refrigerating and using opened tuna. Sainsbury’s brine listing says within 1 day; the cited Tesco and Princes listings say within 2 days. | I might use only part of an opened tin, so the storage instructions matter as much as the number of sealed tins. |
| Sourcing | Look for a certification statement or a specific sourcing claim on the exact pack. Do not extend a claim from one product to an entire range. | I want to check what the tuna I’m buying says about its sourcing, rather than rely on a general brand description. |
Some of that weight is liquid. Tesco and Princes 4 x 145g packs list 102g drained tuna per tin, which is the more useful figure when dividing a dish into portions.
Check drained weight on the listing or tin before comparing different multipack sizes.
Princes spring-water chunks list 0.85g salt per 100g drained, while Sainsbury’s compared brine pack lists 0.42g. The packing medium alone does not establish the salt level.
Compare the nutrition panels on the same per-100g basis and consider the cheese, stock or sauce going into the dish.
The cited packs give different use-by intervals after opening: 1 day for Sainsbury’s brine tuna and 2 days for the Tesco and Princes examples.
Follow the exact product’s instructions for transferring unused tuna to a container, covering it and refrigerating it.
An MSC certification statement on a particular listing is not the same claim as a brand’s wider sourcing policy.
Check the exact tin or listing for the ecolabel, certification or catch-method statement that matters to you.
These examples show label details worth comparing; a figure for one recipe, packing medium or product line should not be applied to every tuna pack from that brand.
Its 4 x 145g tuna chunks in brine listing suggests the product for pasta bakes and jacket potatoes.
Tesco’s own-brand brine chunks come in a 4 x 145g pack with 4 x 102g drained tuna stated on the listing.
The cited 4 x 145g tuna-chunk listings include spring-water and brine versions.
John West describes a four-can spring-water tuna-chunk pack; Joybuy also lists a 4 x 125g spring-water version.
M&S lists spring-water tuna chunks and a separate four-pack of tuna steaks in sunflower oil.
These John West and Princes four-packs offer spring-water, brine and sunflower-oil formats for planning a tuna dinner. Check each pack’s drained weight when deciding how many tins your recipe needs.
Image unavailableFour separate spring-water tins are an option for a pasta bake or for opening across several meals. Check the drained weight on the pack before deciding how many tins the dish needs; follow its instructions for refrigerating any opened tuna.
Image unavailableThe four brine-packed tins can be opened as needed for cooked dishes. Tesco’s listing for this Princes 4 x 145g brine product states 0.90g salt per 100g drained; check the drained quantity on the pack when planning portions.
Image unavailableChoose this four-tin sunflower-oil format if oil-packed tuna fits the dish you are making. Check the drained quantity for portion planning and the nutrition panel’s stated basis before comparing its figures with drained tuna packed in water or brine.
Image unavailableFour 125g tins let you open the oil-packed tuna across more than one use. Check the drained weight for your recipe; the product description also notes that small bones may remain.
Image unavailableThe four brine-packed tins offer separate openings for a pasta bake or later meals. Check the drained weight and the nutrition panel’s basis when comparing packs; the product description notes that small bones may remain.
It depends on the pack’s drained weight: the 145g figure includes liquid. Tesco’s own-brand brine pack and the cited Princes spring-water pack each list 4 x 102g drained tuna, or 408g across four tins. Check a different product’s label before using that quantity to plan your meal.
Choose the format that fits your sauce and check its nutrition panel. Spring water and brine do not have a fixed salt order: Sainsbury’s brine pack lists 0.42g salt per 100g drained, compared with 0.85g for the cited Princes spring-water pack. For oil-packed tuna, check the exact cut and label basis rather than assuming it compares directly with water-packed chunks.
Follow the instructions on the tin you opened, including any direction to transfer unused tuna to a container and refrigerate it. The cited Sainsbury’s brine listing says to use it within 1 day; the cited Tesco and Princes listings give 2 days.
No. For pregnancy, the NHS says not to eat more than four cans or two tuna steaks a week. A multipack is a purchase format, not a suggested amount to eat at one meal; consider the individual’s tuna intake across the week.
Check the exact tin or product listing for a specific ecolabel, certification statement or catch-method claim. Tesco and Sainsbury’s cite MSC certification on the brine products described here, whereas M&S describes its own Forever Fish policy for its spring-water chunks; do not assume either statement applies to every product from the brand.