'Skimpflation' warning as tinned mackerel alternative hits more supermarket shelves

A growing trend of supermarkets selling a cheaper, less nutritious alternative to tinned mackerel is an example of skimpflation, a consumer group has said. Princes - which supplies major supermarkets - has substituted the fish for jack mackerel, an entirely different species also being sold by Lidl. The switch has been spurred by dwindling stocks of Atlantic mackerel after years of overfishing, with its Chilean counterpart more sustainable and a third of the cost. It's a real concern when manufacturers quietly downgrade everyday staples like these as shoppers can end up paying the same price for a product that delivers significantly less nutritional quality, Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said. Jack mackerel contains about half as much omega-3 and around a third as much vitamin B12 as traditional mackerel.