I think as we get older, so the big enjoyments of life get less. I supposed you would expect that of a grumpy old so and so like me. However, I have just heard that not one tin of Mackerel in the U.K. contains, can you believe this, wait for it…. drum roll, contains not one piece of Mackerel!
My Treat
I enjoy my tins of Makerel and it’s supposed to be good for an ageing system like mine. Which begs the next question. What have I been eating all this time? It turns out tobe something called ‘Chilean jack mackerel’ which despite having a similar name to Mackerel is not Mackerel at all! It’s fish, but a different type of fish. I may as well get stuck into a packet of chocolate digestive biscuits for all the good it’s doing me.
Problem?
So what’s happened? It’s all to do with over fishing and saving the real Mackerel from disappearing altogether. I’m all for that, no problem, but don’t put the nasty stuff in a tin with either a dosh of tomato sauce or sunflower oil and tell me it’s my old favourite lunch time fish. It’s not and that’s very, very naughty! I don’t know what the Sardine situation is like, so I may have to start using that.
Not My Fault
Next time I go to my Doctors and see his nurse who looks after me, I know she will go through my diet and see if I’m being good. I bet she doesn’t know about the Mackerel though. ‘What have you been having for lunch, Trevor?’ – ‘Well, I thought I was having Mackerel but it seems I have been gulping down some below standard bottom feeder that has no goodness in it whatsoever!’ Then she will very politely tell me I’m doing something wrong, blood sugars up, blood pressure up, weight up! But it’s the Mackerel. How do they get away with putting Mackerel on the tin, but it’s not Mackerel?
The Simple Life
Life used to be so simple, salmon paste in a jar, salmon in a tin, Mackerel, Sardines, Cockles, Crab paste and all sorts of delightful fishy things that you knew were actually in the tin or jar. Now I feel I can’t trust anybody. I feel a little green and sickly too, what have I really been eating? Bleurrrgh.
The original article was in The Independent.
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It’s a crying shame as a bit of smoked mackerel is a right treat.
I know, Josie. That’s exactly how I see it. 😊
I don’t like fish at all, but I have to eat it at least once a week due to my wife’s cooking habits. Tortilla’s with a topping of french cheese for lunch are my kind of food….
Oh, I love some fish. Your wife’s looking after you. 😊
I read that eating Chilean jack mackerel is healthy because it provides high amounts of lean protein, essential vitamins, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Each standard serving contains over 21 to 24 grams of protein to support muscle repair and daily energy. A single tin delivers roughly 750 milligrams of omega-3s, which reduce inflammation and support brain and heart health. It serves as an excellent natural source of Vitamin B-12, selenium, niacin, and Vitamin E. Because Chilean jack mackerel sit lower on the marine food chain and have shorter lifespans, they accumulate significantly fewer heavy toxins like mercury compared to apex predators such as swordfish or tuna. Compared to true Atlantic mackerel, the Chilean variety is leaner, meaning it has fewer calories and total fat while still offering great nutritional value.
What I’m reading is the Chilean Jack has very little to offer compared to the real Mackerel. What you have written looks like the real Mackerel 😊
Over here, we used to have something called “truth in advertising,” but here, too, it has seemed to slip away. Thanks for the alert, and the link to the Independent’s article on it. Also, as you point out it is incredibly cheeky of them to charge mackerel prices for and off label (so to speak) substitution.
Thanks, Lou. They were always very strict here about saying what’s in the tin is actually in the tin. Things definitely slipping. 😊
We never know if we are eating the real thing these days do we, Trev. And now, we have lab-grown meat in the US. Its so putrid! You must be vigilant to avoid that rubbish. Have great weekend!
Ugh. That sounds awful, John. We may as well eat all the things we love, cake and chocolate. 😊
Agreed but I’m diabetic. Our government has failed us in the food department. 😡
Brilliant and funny post!
You can’t trust tins anymore, but let’s hope the sardines are still behaving like real sardines.
Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Luisa. I hope the same for the Sardines too oh and the Pilchards. Thank you, you too. 😊
Let’s hope for the best, dear Trev
Have a beautiful evening!
Thank you, Luisa 🙏
I’m with you, Trev. What a deception! How can we trust canned products again?
I don’t think we can. Thank you as always, Rosaliene. 😊
🙂 <3
Thank you😊
Dear me! Nothing is what it purports to be. When I was a little girl – verrry long ago, mackerel was my favourite fish, indeed one of my preferred foods. Haven’t had one since either and I guess I never will now. But food packing companies should be honest and it makes you wonder what else they lie about.
Indeed. It seems nothing matters anymore. 😊
Blech. You could always try Revo’s 3D printed plant-based salmon… I’ll never understand why vegans insist on creating “meat alternatives” trying so hard to be like the real thing.
https://www.designboom.com/technology/3d-printed-salmon-vegan-fish-filet-revo-foods-09-18-2023/
Thank you 😊
Ack! David and I were just talking about how when/if my immigration to Edinburgh goes through, we’re going to be eating a lot more oily fish: Scottish salmon and trout! But then I mentioned I’ve never had mackerel or sardines, and I’ve only had anchovies once, and that was on pizza, and the person who did that was in big trouble for it. I’m forwarding the article to him! I think he was discussing fresh fish, not tinned, but I have no idea.
Well, I hope whatever conclusion you come to, so long as you don’t eat tinned fish, all will be well. Thank you 😊
Oh no, we’ve all been duped, Trev!!!
It looks like we have. Thank you, Cindy 😊
Yikes.. but of course.. xx
I am sorry to learn about this deceptive marketing. Each time something like this is uncovered, our trust in the common good and in capitalism and in our leaders can be diminished… Deep breath in. Deep breath out. I will stick with sardines every now and then for the forseeable future…
Thank you and you’re absolutely right. I always thought it was illegal to put different content in the tin/package to what it says on the cover. 😊
I read this news earlier today! Uff!
Not good is it! 👍
I almost missed your article. I am as shocked as you are to learn about the fishy deception. I eat fresh salmon each week and am partial to tuna sandwiches and pilchards on toast. I also enjoy smoked mackerel from the fish counter.
There’s something very wrong when our healthy food is secretly substituted with a variety that offers fewer health benefits. Thank you for pointing this out, Trev. 🙂
Thank you, Sue. When we think we are trying our best. I honestly don’t know how they get away with it. 😊
Hello Trev, I have just subscribed to your blog after reading a comment of yours on Sue W’s blog.
I thought I would let you know that you can get real mackerel in a tin from Lidl. Printed on the side of the tin is the information that it contains Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) caught by trawlers in the North-East Atlantic.
Thank you very much, Clare. I shall be visiting our local Aldi next week then, very much appreciate the tip. Thank you. 😊