Woman preparing salad in kitchen, tuna in Tetra Recart carton package

FOOD

Tuna is changing.
Catch the opportunity.

The tuna category is growing – and consumer, retail and sustainability demands are reshaping it fast. The producers who move now will define what the category looks like next. Tetra Recart^® gives them the means to do it.

The tuna category is growing. Packaging is where the competitive advantage lies.

Shelf-stable tuna is one of the most established categories in shelf-stable food, and one of the most resilient. But the category is changing. Consumer expectations around convenience, health and sustainability are on the rise. Retail buyers are asking harder questions about packaging credentials. Tetra Recart, our retortable paper-based package, gives tuna producers the means to answer both. The producers who recognise that shift as an opportunity – rather than a threat – will be the ones who shape what the category looks like next.

See where the tuna category is heading before your competitors do

Illustration: graph, thumbs up and heart

Convenience and health goals drive growth

In 2025, the global shelf-stable tuna market stood at over 11 billion units, with 2.2% growth projected through to 2030. The drivers are structural: tuna is a natural source of protein and omega-3, it’s affordable, and it’s convenient. As consumers prioritise health and look for products that fit increasingly busy lives, shelf-stable tuna is well positioned – and the producers with the right format will be best placed to capture that growth.

Source: Shelf Stable Tuna Market Assessment Study, Meticulous, 2025

Smaller package sizes have the biggest potential

100–200g formats dominate the shelf-stable tuna category, accounting for more than 60% of the market. But the fastest-growing segment is packages under 100g, with 2.7% CAGR projected between 2025 and 2030, driven by single-serve consumption, on-the-go occasions and the rise of single-person households. For producers looking to move into higher-growth territory, smaller formats represent the clearest near-term opportunity.

Source: Shelf Stable Tuna Market Assessment Study, Meticulous, 2025

Sales woman, tuna in Tetra Recart cartons on shelf

Get in front of where the tuna category is heading

Our tuna trend report gives you the data and analysis to understand where consumer demand, packaging innovation and category growth are heading – and what that means for your business. Act on it before your competitors do.

Why is now the time to change your tuna packaging?

Consumer expectations, retail requirements and sustainability targets are all moving in the same direction. Here is what switching to a paper-based package does for your business.

Stand out in a category where every pack looks the same

The shelf-stable tuna category is dominated by round containers. A square paper-based carton package creates immediate differentiation – on the shelf, online and in the home – giving your products a distinctive presence that traditional formats cannot match.

Give your sustainability and health story the space it deserves

The large flat panels of a paper-based carton package give you six printable faces to work with. That means more room for nutritional information, sourcing credentials, recipe ideas and brand storytelling, communicated clearly, at the point of purchase.

Different types of tuna in Tetra Recart carton packages

Cover the tuna products your consumers actually buy

Paper-based carton packages are compatible with shredded, flaked, chunks and tuna salad – the formats that make up the majority of global shelf-stable tuna volume. Whatever your core range looks like, there is a format built for it.

Man with hand truck loading Tetra Recart packages into truck

Cut complexity from your packaging operation

Flat-packed cartons arrive ready to feed directly into filling lines, reducing inbound storage space and handling complexity. Once filled, their rectangular shape means up to 20% more units per pallet versus traditional round formats in many configurations¹, lowering transport cost per unit and associated emissions.

One finger holding Tetra Recart carton with tuna

Sustainability credentials your retail buyers and consumers will believe

Paper-based carton packages generate 85% lower carbon emissions than steel cans and 83% lower than glass jars, based on independent life cycle assessment data². And consumers already independently perceive cartons as the most sustainable packaging format – a rare alignment of reality and perception.

Tetra Recart carton packages with tuna in shopping basket

Meet the expectations consumers already have of modern packaging

Tuna buyers want packaging that is easy to open, easy to empty and easy to reclose. Paper-based carton packages deliver on all three, addressing frustrations that affect a significant proportion of tuna consumers with traditional formats, while adding the convenience and versatility that modern consumption occasions demand.

Give your tuna range a competitive edge

Tetra Recart gives tuna producers the format, the expertise and the commercial support to turn category trends into stronger, more differentiated products. From concept development to retail launch, we help you move faster and with more confidence.

Woman presenting ideas, Customer Innovation Centre

Co-create concepts built on real insights

Identify growth spaces in tuna – from ingredient innovations to value and private label – with our consumer and market insights. In tailored workshops at our Customer Innovation Centre, we help you shape concepts, package formats and business cases grounded in what your consumers actually want.

Explore our Customer Innovation Centre⁠

Test recipes under realistic conditions

Use our Food Development Centre to formulate and trial tuna recipes for Tetra Recart under realistic processing conditions. Pilot runs and mobile test units let you refine product performance and gather decision-ready data before scaling up.

Discover the Food Development Centre⁠

Tuna chunks in Tetra Recart carton packages

Make your products stand out on the shelf and online

Use the flat panels and six printable faces to showcase the type and quality of your tuna, how it’s sourced and recipe ideas. Continuous designs across packages create a strong billboard effect in store, while distinctive graphics help your products stand out on screen.

Deep dive into package design⁠

Tetra Recart is proven for the tuna products that matter most

Shredded tuna

– finely cut pieces ideal for blending with other ingredients.

Flaked tuna

– small pieces, but with a more solid structure.

Tuna chunks

– larger pieces of meat that maintain the original texture of the fish.

Tuna salad

– ready-to-eat products that include a mix of ingredients.

An efficient tuna line that costs less than you might expect

Shifting or expanding your tuna operations into Tetra Recart means a highly automated line with integrated processing knowhow. From recipe handling to filling and retorting, we help you build reliable performance and an attractive total cost of ownership.

One line. Both package sizes. Ready when you are.

The Tetra Pak^® R2 line handles both the 100ml and 200ml Tetra Recart Mini formats on a single machine, with volume changeovers in around 30 minutes. Highly automated and straightforward to operate, it is designed to get you into production efficiently – and to scale with you as volumes grow.

Find out more about the Tetra Pak R2 line⁠

Kitchen at Food development center, tomato products

Retort expertise that removes the guesswork

Getting retort parameters right for tuna is critical, and our specialists understand the specific demands involved. We help you find the right configurations for consistent product quality, food safety and line performance, from pilot runs through to full-scale production.

Lower transport costs from the first pallet

Flat-packed cartons arrive ready to feed directly into the filling line, reducing inbound storage and handling. Once filled, the rectangular format enables up to 20% more units per pallet versus traditional round formats in many configurations¹, cutting transport cost per unit and the emissions that go with it.

Two package sizes. Maximum flexibility.

The 100ml and 200ml Tetra Recart Mini formats cover the consumption occasions that matter most in shelf-stable tuna: from single-serve and on-the-go through to everyday household use. Together they address the formats where both volume and growth are strongest in the category.

Find out more about Tetra Recart 100 Mini⁠

Tuna chunks in water and oil in Tetra Recart carton packages

Is your tuna production built for what’s next?

The tuna category will keep evolving, and the producers who build adaptability into their operations now will be best placed to lead it. Tetra Recart, combined with our line expertise and service solutions, gives you a platform for continuous improvement: stronger performance, lower waste and the resilience to stay ahead as demands change.

Tuna salad and Tetra Pak Services offerings

Protect your margins as the category keeps moving

As consumer preferences change and the category evolves, you need a production setup that can adapt without constant reinvestment. Tetra Recart lines and services support recipe updates, product extensions and performance upgrades, while Tetra Pak^® Advanced Agreements give you performance guarantees, shared risk and the resilience to protect margins over time.

Find out more about Tetra Pak Advanced Agreements⁠

Tuna in Tetra Recart carton packages and tuna salad

Meet tomorrow’s sustainability requirements with what you choose today

Packaging sustainability is moving from a reporting exercise to a commercial requirement – and the bar will only rise. Tetra Recart is backed by independently certified sourcing and third-party carbon footprint data: up to 71% FSC™-certified² paper content from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources, and an 85% lower carbon footprint than steel cans for shelf-stable food³. A foundation you can build on as requirements evolve.

The tuna opportunity is real – which route is right for your business?

Whether you are a co-packer, brand owner or private-label retailer, Tetra Recart offers flexible ways to bring your tuna innovations to market. You can invest in your own lines, collaborate with partners or combine both approaches to balance speed, risk and capital while building a long-term advantage.

Hands holding Tetra Recart carton with tuna

Co-packers: attract future-ready business

Add Tetra Recart to your tuna capabilities and open the door to brands and retailers looking to move beyond traditional formats. A modern paper-based packaging format strengthens your service offer, supports multiple SKUs and fast changeovers, and positions you as the partner of choice for producers who want to move first.

Find out more about Tetra Recart for co-packers⁠

Man holding two Tetra Recart carton packages with tuna

Brand owners: de-risk the move beyond cans

Take a step-by-step approach to getting started with Tetra Recart: from pilot runs with experienced co-packers to full-scale in-house production when volumes justify the investment. Our support across product development, line design and startup helps you manage risk while building a differentiated tuna portfolio that stands out on the shelf and answers the sustainability expectations of retail buyers and consumers.

Find out more about Tetra Recart for brand owners⁠

Private-label retailers: build value and differentiation

Use Tetra Recart to launch private-label tuna that combines competitive value with a contemporary paper-based format. Working with selected co-packers or your own lines, you can create distinctive ranges that stand out on the shelf, strengthen sustainability credentials and respond to the packaging expectations of modern tuna consumers.

Find out more about Tetra Recart for retailers⁠

Explore what else Tetra Recart can do

Tetra Recart is not only a strong fit for tuna – it is proven across a range of shelf-stable foods. Discover how the same paper-based, space-efficient format can add value in other food categories.