Choose plain tinned tuna by the sugars value on the exact pack, not by assuming one brand or packing medium is lower in sugar. M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose product listings show spring-water and brine examples with 0g or less than 0.1g sugars per 100g; once that value is similar, compare salt, packing medium and the quantity needed for dinner.
If tuna is going into a pasta bake, jacket potatoes or sandwiches, compare the sugars value on each tin before choosing. Plain spring-water and brine examples listed by M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose show 0g or less than 0.1g per 100g.
When tins have similar listed sugars, salt and packing medium may be more useful ways to choose between them. Check whether water, brine or oil suits the dish as well as the nutrition values.
Check the ingredients and allergen information before serving tuna, then read the opened-storage instructions on the particular pack if any is left over.
Start with sugars per 100g on the exact tin, then compare other label values and the amount of tuna your meal will use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Listed sugars | Compare sugars per 100g on the nutrition label, using the same basis where the pack specifies drained values. The NHS identifies sugars as one of the values shown on food labels. | I want to know what the tin actually lists, rather than rely on a reduced-sugar search term. M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose list checked spring-water and brine examples at 0g or less than 0.1g sugars per 100g. |
| Salt and packing medium | Read salt per 100g and the ingredients. If considering oil-packed tuna, check fat and energy too: Sainsbury's lists Princes tuna in sunflower oil at 0g sugars, 9.5g fat and 180 kcal per 100g drained. | When sugars are similar, I would choose a packing medium that works in the dish and compare salt without assuming that water-packed tuna is the only zero-sugar option. |
| Meal quantity | Check the cut, pack size and drained quantity where stated. Use per-100g nutrition values for comparison, then work out how much tuna the meal requires. | For a pasta bake or jacket potatoes, I need enough usable tuna for the portions I am making, without mistaking the total tin weight for the drained amount. |
| Allergens and storage | Read the fish allergen information and ingredients on the exact pack. Follow its instructions for any tuna left after opening; storage periods can differ between products. | Before serving everyone, I need to check whether anyone has a fish allergy and decide what to do with any leftovers. |
Sainsbury's lists Princes tuna in both brine and sunflower oil with negligible or 0g sugars per 100g drained, but the oil-packed product also lists 9.5g fat and 180 kcal.
Compare sugars, salt, fat and energy on the tins you are considering, then choose a packing medium that suits the meal.
Pack weights and drained quantities are not the same measure, so they answer different questions about nutrition and meal quantity.
Compare nutrition per 100g first; check the drained quantity separately when deciding how many tins to use.
Tuna contains fish. Storage instructions also differ: a Waitrose listing for John West No Drain tuna says to use it within two days of opening, while its Minerva Tuna Steak listing says to consume it immediately.
Check the allergen information before serving and follow the instructions on the particular tin for anything left over.
The Food Standards Agency advises people who are pregnant or trying for a baby to have no more than four cans of tuna weekly because tuna can contain mercury.
If that advice applies to someone eating the meal, take it into account when planning how often to serve tuna; do not assume the same limit applies to every family member.
These examples illustrate what individual UK product listings say; compare the exact tin rather than extending one product's values across a brand.
Waitrose lists John West spring-water tuna chunks and a No Drain spring-water product.
Sainsbury's lists Princes tuna chunks in brine and in sunflower oil.
M&S presents its spring-water tuna chunks as an ingredient for pasta bakes and jacket potatoes.
Waitrose lists No.1 Albacore Tuna in Spring Water and Minerva Tuna Steak in Spring Water.
These tuna chunks come in spring water or sunflower oil and offer different pack formats for family meals. Check each tin's nutrition panel and drained quantity when comparing them.
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A four-tin pack of spring-water tuna chunks for meals that call for tuna mixed into other ingredients. Waitrose lists this John West 4 x 125g product at 0g carbohydrate and 0.80g salt per 100g drained; check the sugars value on the pack itself.
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A four-tin option when sunflower oil suits the planned dish. Compare the pack's sugars, salt, fat and energy values with any spring-water tuna you are considering.
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A single tin of spring-water tuna chunks. Before comparing its nutrition values with drained-basis listings, check whether the per-100g values on this pack refer to drained or undrained tuna; also check its allergen information before serving.
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A six-tin spring-water pack for meals that need several portions. Check the drained quantity per tin when planning dinner, and compare sugars and salt per 100g drained on the current pack.
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A three-tin spring-water pack for meals using smaller quantities at a time. Check the exact tin's directions before preparation, as the available usage wording for this product is unclear about draining.
No. M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose listings for checked plain spring-water and brine products show 0g or less than 0.1g sugars per 100g, so read the exact tin's label rather than assuming a brand or packing medium has a sugar advantage. Compare salt, packing medium and meal quantity once sugars are similar.
Start with sugars and salt per 100g, and check fat and energy if the packing medium differs. The NHS says nutrition labels normally give values per 100g or 100ml; use the same drained or undrained basis where that distinction is stated.
Tuna contains fish, so it is not suitable for someone with a fish allergy. GOV.UK identifies fish as an allergen that food businesses must declare when it is an ingredient; check the exact pack's ingredients and allergen information before serving.
Follow the storage instructions on that tin. The Waitrose listing for John West No Drain tuna says to refrigerate it after opening and use it within two days, whereas its Minerva Tuna Steak listing says to consume it immediately; one instruction should not be applied to every product.
The Food Standards Agency advises people who are pregnant or trying for a baby to have no more than four cans of tuna weekly because tuna can contain mercury. Account for that advice when planning meals for someone it applies to, rather than treating a low sugars value as the only consideration.