15 Mar 2023UpdateWhat even is this?Canned foods are trending
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The latest TikTok star to make the rounds and break the internet is none other than canned tuna. Yes, canned tuna. Budget-conscious foodies are turning to pantry staples to keep their grocery costs low, which is leading a slew of new product lines to spearhead the canned goods renaissance.

Author
J’Nae PhillipsJ'Nae Phillips is a Senior Insights Editor at Canvas8. After an early career working in fashion and media, her passion for culture and journalism grew and she made the transition to writing and editing full-time. She specialises in fashion, trends, cultural shifts and all of the good stuff that gets people talking.

Canned goods such as tuna, sardines, soup and Spam have seen an increase in sales and interest as they ride a wave of online popularity championed by younger consumers.

According to data provider Euromonitor International, American sales of canned seafood rose 9.7% to $2.7 billion in 2022 thanks to their novel and affordable appeal - and the tinned fish market shows no signs of slowing.

Canned-fish producers are using vintage aesthetics in packaging and marketing, as well as developing new strategies, to put tinned fish in front of new generations and keep up with the growing demand.

As consumers adapt their eating and drinking habits in light of the cost of living crisis, this culinary curiosity may stick around for the foreseeable future.

Three key insights:
- The #tinnedfish hashtag on TikTok now has more than 42 million views, a figure which is continuing to rise.
- Analysis predicts that the canned food market (which includes canned seafood and fish) will grow by nearly $28 billion by 2025.
- Consumers are buying canned goods due to their long shelf life and low cost, with 64% citing value for money as a key purchase driver.

Extended reading:
🍥 Fishwife is a sustainability-minded American startup that is making smoked trout and canned tuna cool.
🍣 Tinned fish products have been elevated thanks to a focus on fancy packaging and new flavours, which has allowed tinned fish to reach TikTok stardom.
🥣 Fuelled by a rise of at-home cooking, an interest in affordable groceries and an increase in pescatarian diets, tinned fish is the internet's latest obsession.

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