Your mackerel is FAKE! Outrage that Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s and Lidl are selling ‘canned mackerel’ which is a completely different fish

As you know, mackerel is considered one of the healthiest fish you can eat because it is rich in omega-3, which improves brain function.

But an investigation has found that many canned mackerel products sold by companies including Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Tesco no longer contain the oily fish.

Last year, canned fish giant Princes swapped its signature mackerel range for Chilean horse mackerel, which, despite a similar name, is a completely different fish.

However, UK retailers continue to sell horse mackerel products alongside traditional mackerel under banners that conflate the two very different products.

Horse mackerel belongs to the family Carangidae, while true mackerel belongs to the family Scombridae.

But the real limiting factor for health-conscious consumers is nutritional quality. Prince mackerel contains half as much omega-3 as real mackerel.

“Canned fish is an affordable and convenient way for households to add important nutrients to their diets and eat the recommended two servings of fish per week, one of which should be fatty,” – Sue Davis, “What?” This was announced by the head of food policy.

“It’s a real problem when manufacturers quietly downgrade such everyday food items, as consumers may end up paying the same price for a product that has significantly less nutritional value.”

British canned mackerel now contains no mackerel

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for everything from heart health (by helping remove bad fats from the blood while raising good cholesterol levels) to preventing dementia.

One study found that people who regularly eat oily fish have healthier blood vessels and lower blood pressure, which may help protect against dementia.

Another found that those with higher levels of omega-3s in their blood performed better on reasoning tests.

Among oily fish, mackerel is one of the richest sources of omega-3 per 100g, ahead of salmon and sardines.

Demand for canned fish has soared over the past two years, with sales up by almost a fifth – as budget-conscious consumers look for cheap sources of healthy, high-protein food.

However, some customers say they have noticed changes in taste and texture after switching to it, reporting that the fish is less oily than traditional mackerel.

“It smells pretty metallic…like cheap trash tuna,” said canned seafood reviewer Marcus Ansell in a recent video posted to his 650,000 Instagram followers.

The move away from true mackerel was largely driven by sustainability concerns.

In April, Waitrose stopped selling fresh, chilled and frozen North Atlantic mackerel due to concerns about overfishing.

Critics say consumers are getting fewer health benefits without even realizing it.

The company’s canned goods are also being phased out as supplies run low.

Meanwhile, Lidl is switching to sustainably sourced Chilean mackerel, which it sells under supermarket signs that simply say “mackerel in olive oil.”

And despite ‘mackerel’ being around a third cheaper than real mackerel, food giants such as Tesco continue to sell the substitute fish at the same prices, with a difference of just 20p.

However, the switch is not universal. Own brand canned mackerel sold in the supermarket still contains real mackerel.

Mackerel catches in the Northeast Atlantic have remained 39 percent above recommended limits for more than 15 years.

As a result, the fishery is no longer certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a seal of sustainability required by many major retailers.

However, Chilean horse mackerel is certified.

Until last year, the species could not be referred to simply as “horse mackerel” in the UK.

However, a few weeks after Princes launched the new cans on the market, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs amended its regulations to allow the new labeling.

But the move has sparked outrage among critics who say the new rules blur the distinction between true mackerel and horse mackerel, potentially irritating consumers.

“Consumers will suffer because pure mackerel is a much better species to eat than horse mackerel,” Stuart Harper, former managing director of North Atlantic Fishing Company, told the Financial Times.