For an Easter salad or platter where you want distinct pieces of tuna, choose a tinned product labelled as tuna steak or fillet-style tuna; ordinary chunks are an option when the fish will be mixed into a filling. Check the packing liquid, pack size and preparation instructions before choosing: a steak-style name does not mean fresh fish or guarantee that the tuna can be served straight from the tin.
If the tuna will sit on top of a salad, potato or sharing dish, look for steak or fillet-style wording and check the pack size. Princes and M&S both list tinned tuna steak products, but the name alone cannot tell you how each piece will look when opened.
If you want to portion tuna with little preparation, an explicitly labelled no-drain format is worth considering. John West describes its No Drain Tuna Steak with a Little Spring Water as ready to eat without draining; still check the chosen pack’s storage instructions.
If ingredients, packing liquid or fishery certification decide your purchase, compare the exact cans rather than relying on a brand name. Look at the ingredient list, the nutrition values on the same stated basis and any certification mark on the pack.
For an Easter food shop focused on tinned tuna, decide whether whole-piece presentation, recipe control, quick serving or provenance is your primary concern. Then check the particular product against that need.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-piece presentation | Look for steak or fillet-style wording; check pack weight and any bones warning. | For a salad or platter with tuna on show, I want pieces I can place separately rather than stir through the dish. About 33% of consumers put whole-piece presentation first. |
| Packing liquid | Check whether the tuna is packed in spring water, brine or oil, and compare labels on the same stated basis. | When a salad already has dressing, I want to choose what the can adds to the recipe. Packing liquid is the primary concern for about 25% of consumers. |
| Serving effort | Confirm any no-drain or ready-to-eat instruction on the exact pack; check how to store leftovers. | For a quick lunch table, I want to open and portion the tuna without an extra draining step. Around 25% of consumers prioritise that convenience. |
| Provenance | Look for the blue MSC ecolabel on the exact can if certification matters to you; read its species and sourcing information. | If fishery credentials decide which can I buy, I need a mark on the product itself, not a general claim about a range. About 17% of consumers make provenance their primary concern. |
A steak-style canned product may suit a dish where the tuna remains visible, but it is not a chilled or frozen fresh fillet. M&S lists its Tuna Steak as tinned fish.
Choose tinned steak for a canned tuna dish; if the recipe calls for fresh fish to cook, choose that product category separately.
Princes lists tuna and spring water in its spring-water steak, while its sunflower-oil product lists tuna, sunflower oil and salt. Those ingredient lists describe different products, not interchangeable cans.
Choose the liquid to suit the dressing or sauce you plan to use, and compare nutrition labels on the same stated basis.
Storage instructions differ by product. M&S instructs shoppers to transfer unused Tuna Steak to a non-metallic container, refrigerate it and eat it within two days.
Check the instructions on your can, then plan its size around the meal and store any remainder as directed.
The NHS states that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish in its fish and shellfish guidance.
If you are planning a meal specifically around the NHS oily-fish category, do not count a tuna steak towards that category.
Consider its No Drain Tuna Steak with a Little Spring Water when serving speed matters.
Its tuna-steak listings offer a choice between spring water and sunflower oil for different recipes.
Its own-brand tinned-fish range includes a 110 g Tuna Steaks with a Little Spring Water listing.
Its 120 g tinned Tuna Steak is an option when a stated steak format, species and packing liquid matter.
These tinned tuna steaks offer sunflower-oil, olive-oil and brine-packed options for Easter dishes. Check preparation instructions before planning a ready-to-serve salad: the brine-packed Tropical Sun product is listed with a cooking requirement.
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Consider this steak-style tuna for a salad or pasta dish where sunflower oil suits the recipe. The product information describes it as ready to eat; follow its instruction to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Check the exact can if an MSC label is a purchase requirement.
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The 110 g sunflower-oil tuna steaks are an option for a dish where steak-style pieces suit the presentation. Check the physical pack before relying on no-drain serving: the product title says “Drained”, while its description also calls it “No Drain”. Follow the pack’s opened-storage instructions.
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Consider this 160 g olive-oil option where the recipe calls for steak-style tuna in oil. Check the physical pack for serving instructions before adding it directly to a salad. The product information says to refrigerate opened contents and consume them within two days; check the can itself if certification is important.
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This brine-packed steak is for a cooked dish, not a ready-to-serve salad or platter. Its product instructions say to drain it, cook thoroughly until piping hot and not eat it raw; they also state that it is unsuitable for children under 4 because of its texture. Transfer leftovers to a covered container, refrigerate and use within 24 hours, as directed.
No. A tinned tuna steak is a canned product, even when its name suggests a whole piece. M&S places its Tuna Steak in its tinned-fish range; choose fresh or frozen tuna separately if a recipe calls for a fresh fillet to cook.
Choose according to what you want the tuna to contribute to the finished salad. Spring water leaves the choice of dressing separate, while an oil-packed product brings its listed oil into the dish. Princes lists tuna and spring water for one steak product, and tuna, sunflower oil and salt for its oil-packed product; compare the exact labels.
Follow the instructions on the can you opened. For its Tuna Steak, M&S says to move unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat them within two days; another product may give different instructions.
No. The NHS states that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish. If you are choosing food specifically for that category, do not treat a tuna steak as an oily-fish portion.
The Marine Stewardship Council says its blue label identifies wild-caught seafood from fishing practices independently assessed against its environmental sustainability requirements. Look for the label on the exact can rather than assuming that every tuna product from a brand or retailer carries it.