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UK Tinned Mackerel No Longer Contains Mackerel, Retailers Shift to Chilean Jack Mackerel
Confirmed
In Short: Major UK supermarkets have switched to selling tins of Chilean jack mackerel under the label 'mackerel', raising concerns about sustainability and nutritional value.
Major UK supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have begun selling tins of Chilean jack mackerel under the label 'mackerel', according to reports. This shift follows a similar pattern across Europe, amid overfishing concerns and falling mackerel stocks, according to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
Retailers such as Lidl and Waitrose have also been transitioning from fresh true mackerel to the cheaper Chilean jack mackerel, which is imported from South America. Despite the name, the jack mackerel is a different species belonging to the Carangidae family, and is significantly lower in nutritional value, with 100 fewer calories per 100g and roughly half as much omega-3 as true mackerel.
Supplier Princes has made the switch to Chilean jack mackerel, which, despite sharing a similar name, is a completely different type of fish. The move has sparked concerns among sustainability advocates, with some supermarkets, including Waitrose, suspending mackerel sales. According to the FT, some retailers are selling jack mackerel products under signs signposted 'mackerel', despite the difference in species.
Waitrose, in particular, has taken a strong stance on the issue. The supermarket announced it would suspend mackerel sales by the end of April, citing overfishing concerns. 'Fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel has disappeared from Waitrose shelves,' said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a prominent sustainability advocate. 'Now the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has said there is not a high enough rate of breeding to replace the volume of mackerel being caught.
Waitrose is replacing mackerel with wild herring and sardines, both MSC blue-tick certified, and farmed seabass and trout with ASC and RSPCA assured certificates, respectively. The move reflects a broader trend in the industry to address sustainability concerns and ensure the long-term health of fish populations. However, the shift has raised questions about the accuracy of product labeling and the nutritional value of the fish sold to consumers.
What's confirmed
- Major UK supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have begun selling tins of Chilean jack mackerel under the label 'mackerel', according to reports. This shift follows a similar pattern across Europe, amid overfishing concerns and falling mackerel stocks, according to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
- Retailers such as Lidl and Waitrose have also been transitioning from fresh true mackerel to the cheaper Chilean jack mackerel, which is imported from South America. Despite the name, the jack mackerel is a different species belonging to the Carangidae family, and is significantly lower in nutritional value, with 100 fewer calories per 100g and roughly half as much omega-3 as true mackerel.
- Supplier Princes has made the switch to Chilean jack mackerel, which, despite sharing a similar name, is a completely different type of fish. The move has sparked concerns among sustainability advocates, with some supermarkets, including Waitrose, suspending mackerel sales. According to the FT, some retailers are selling jack mackerel products under signs signposted 'mackerel', despite the difference in species.
- Waitrose, in particular, has taken a strong stance on the issue. The supermarket announced it would suspend mackerel sales by the end of April, citing overfishing concerns. 'Fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel has disappeared from Waitrose shelves,' said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a prominent sustainability advocate. 'Now the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has said there is not a high enough rate of breeding to replace the volume of mackerel being caught.
- Waitrose is replacing mackerel with wild herring and sardines, both MSC blue-tick certified, and farmed seabass and trout with ASC and RSPCA assured certificates, respectively. The move reflects a broader trend in the industry to address sustainability concerns and ensure the long-term health of fish populations. However, the shift has raised questions about the accuracy of product labeling and the nutritional value of the fish sold to consumers.
What's still developing
- Since 2010, mackerel quotas have been set an average 39 per cent higher than those given in the scientific advice.