It is official – Britain has gone crazy for tuna. New figures released by Tesco have revealed how demand for the humble tinned fish has soared over the last two years. Sales are up nearly 18 per cent, which is equivalent to an additional 2.25 million kilograms.
What Is Behind This Surge?
According to Lee Bannerman, Tesco tinned fish buyer, the increase in sales is being largely driven by health-conscious TikTokers. He said: 'Tinned fish is at the height of culinary fashion and is being driven by younger shoppers who have tuned into the fact that it is a cheap and convenient way of boosting their protein intake.'
The news will come as no surprise to many tuna fans, who regularly take to social media to share their favourite recipes. 'This spicy tuna bowl is possibly the easiest high protein 10 minute meal you can make, and I could happily eat it every day for the rest of my life,' @thefitlondoner explained on one of her recipe videos. @mummysflippinhouse posted a video making a baked potato with tuna and cheese, joking: 'That's a tuna jacket...which my husband thinks this is disgusting.'
A Resurgence After a Century
Tuna and other tinned fish were found across most kitchens in the UK for much of the 20th century. However, their popularity began to wane as a result of the advent of refrigeration after World War II. Now, Tesco has revealed that sales are on the up once again. 'You'd probably need to go back nearly 100 years to find the last time that tinned fish was such an exciting commodity,' Mr Bannerman said.
Tuna is not only high in protein, but also contains essential vitamins and minerals, and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This has not gone unnoticed by health-conscious youngsters, who started posting tuna recipes in the US a few years ago. Today, they are hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
'TikTok is awash with influencers posting their tinned fish meal creations and offering tips on how to jazz up simple, easy to make meals such as tuna pasta bakes or salmon salads,' Mr Bannerman added.
TikTok Recipes Galore
A quick search on TikTok uncovers hundreds of recipes involving tuna. @cookwithchlos shared a recipe for crispy tuna bites, explaining they 'take 20 minutes and are actually SO good.' @emthenutritionist showed her followers how to make the 'ultimate' tuna melt, joking 'there's something about a tuna melt that just SLAPS.' And @onlyscrans revealed that his 'most requested recipe ever' was his spicy tuna pasta. 'It might just be my favourite pasta dish I've ever posted on the god forsaken f***ing page,' he quipped.
Industry Perspectives
LDH (La Doria), which owns the tinned fish brand Glenryck, supplies Tesco with most of its own brand tinned fish. Robert Wiltshire, LDH Head of Seafood Sourcing and Sustainability, said: 'Tinned fish and especially tuna has always been popular but with a more defined and more mature audience. We saw a brief, artificial spike in sales during lockdown because fresh food became harder to buy and shoppers were stocking up on tinned foods that would keep for longer. But now the younger generation are picking up on just how versatile tuna is and even high-end restaurants are adding it to their menus – something that no one would have imagined even five years ago.'
The news comes shortly after Tesco revealed that demand for cottage cheese has rocketed by 200 per cent over the last two years, amid a resurgence for the high-protein snack on TikTok. 'TikTok food trends often result in sudden sales spikes and we saw that happen last year with Italian bread and cheese,' explained Elizabeth Tomkins, Tesco cottage cheese buyer. 'But this is a fully fledged culinary phenomenon that has brought a lot of extra business to the UK dairy industry.'
What Should a Balanced Diet Look Like?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS. The Eatwell Guide recommends:
- Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count.
- Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain.
- 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on.
- Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options.
- Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily).
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts.
- Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day.
- Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day.
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
