UK tinned ‘mackerel’ no longer contains mackerel
Major UK supermarkets are replacing Atlantic mackerel with Chilean jack mackerel in tinned products due to severe overfishing and declining stocks. The switch has sparked consumer complaints regarding the fish's nutritional profile, texture, and smell.
Why it matters
It highlights the impact of climate change and overfishing on global food supply chains and consumer transparency.
UK tinned ‘mackerel’ no longer contains mackerel Tins of mackerel sold in many of the UK's major supermarkets no longer contain what British consumers would recognise as mackerel, it has emerged, as a result of overfishing concerns.
Supplier Princes has switched to Chilean jack mackerel, which, despite sharing a similar name, is a completely different type of fish .
Jack mackerel has 100 fewer calories per 100g and roughly half as much omega-3 as true mackerel.
It is not only the nutritional side that has brought complaints – consumers have also complained of bigger bones and a metallic smell.
Both Tesco and Sainsbury's sell Princes tinned fish, while other major supermarkets including Lidl and Waitrose have been transitioning from fresh true mackerel.
Fleeing climate warming, the Atlantic mackerel has migrated north, only to find itself trapped by overfishing against a backdrop of geopolitical disputes (AFP/Getty)
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