Why canned fish is making a comeback

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When we say ‘TikTok trend’, your first thought probably isn’t ‘canned fish’. 

And yet, canned fish really is a big deal on TikTok this year. 

The tins of fish we’re seeing on socials aren’t the average cans you’d keep stocked in the back of your cupboard for a rainy day, though. They’re more high-end than that: quality seafood products (including squid, mussels, and octopus) preserved with delicious herbs or sauces, or smoked to perfection. 

What’s so good about fish in tins?

It’s super convenient, easy to store and whip out of the cupboard when you need it most, and it can add some interest and flavour to any dinner party snack board. 

But the superpower of canned fish is that it’s also really healthy. It’s a valuable source of protein, and packed with omega-3 fatty acids that support heart health. Certain shellfish products are rich in vitamin B12 and zinc. And because canned fish tends to be produced using smaller and non-predatory fish, it’s lower in mercury than larger, fresh fish. 

So canned fish is experiencing a resurgence – driven by social media sharing

For example, see:

• This TikTok post with the hashtag #tinfishdatenight. It features a date night spread using four different types of tinned fish – and it has garnered nearly 180k likes.
  
• Another post, with 82k likes, in which the poster explains how trendy new tinned fish packaging hooked him in. He presents his canned fish meal on a cheeseboard – and more than 300 people in the comment section share their ideas for seasoning and presenting tinned fish meals.
  
• And this post, where the poster proclaims he is “obsessed with tinned fish TikTok” and shares his top 5 tinned fishes so far – all under USD $10 to buy.

Canned fish is an affordable health food

Food that’s good for our health is a trend that isn’t going away. 

According to data from Statista, the global function and natural health food market was valued at USD $23.5 billion in 2023, and projected to reach $38.5 billion by 2033. 

And with the cost of living crisis still affecting consumers in regions around the world, budget-friendly health food is increasingly important. 

People know they want to eat products that are good for them. And they also know they don’t want to have to spend hundreds of dollars at high-end health food stores in order to eat well. So affordable healthy food products are gaining traction – and canned fish fits perfectly within this consumer demand. 

It hasn’t always had a reputation for being on-trend: it’s long been a smelly staple, confined to the back of the cupboard for those days when you just can’t get to the grocery store. For years, children have grimaced when a tin of sardines was emptied onto their plate; and no one would crack open their canned fish when they had guests coming round because the aroma does take time to air out. 

But now, people are opening up those cans while the dinner guests are still at the table. It’s not just a back-of-the-cupboard emergency food; it’s a front-and-centre, dress-it-up, enjoy-the-flavour kind of treat. 

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Until next week,

Aravind Kanniah,
Exhibition Director

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