Tetra Pak, in collaboration with the Spanish leading seafood producer Jealsa, has unveiled what it claims is the industry’s first carton packaging for shelf stable tuna. Packaged in Tetra Recart®, this market leading innovation launched in Sweden last month with retailer Axfood in 200 ml Mini format and will be available to food producers and brands worldwide
The solution was brought to market in collaboration with Jealsa, combining expertise in food packaging from Tetra Pak with decades of experience in producing high-quality seafood products from Jealsa.
A paper‑based alternative to traditional cans, Tetra Recart offers food producers a new way to differentiate in one of the seafood industry’s most established categories. The global shelf‑stable tuna market is expected to grow an estimated 12% to 12.4 billion units by 2030, reflecting rising demand for affordable, versatile and long‑lasting protein options.
Tetra Recart offers brands a cost-competitive, scalable paper-based packaging solution and already supports a wide range of shelf-stable products, from spreads and flakes to shredded tuna and chunks, with plans to expand into additional tuna preparations as the category evolves.
Tatiana Liceti, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions at Tetra Pak commented, “This is true packaging innovation in a category that has looked the same for generations. With the industry’s first carton for shelf stable tuna in Tetra Recart, we are giving producers and brands a new way to stand out on shelf to protect and grow market share, support cost competitive, scalable production, and modernise with a paper-based alternative to cans, while contributing to more sustainable food systems through smarter production and distribution.”
Jesús M. Alonso Escurís, President, Jealsa said, “In Jealsa’s 68-year history in shelf-stable seafood, we have always been committed to innovation. The launch of this market-leading products sets a new benchmark for the industry. Through our collaboration with Tetra Pak, we’ve brought a game-changing packaging solution to market, combining their expertise in innovative formats with our long-standing heritage in high-quality seafood. Together, we are delivering a solution that responds to evolving consumer expectations. Following a successful launch in Sweden, we are already seeing strong market momentum and are confident this will continue as demand for more convenient, modern and sustainable products grows.”
The packaging format also delivers significant environmental benefits. Tetra Recart® has the smallest carbon footprint of any package in its category, 85% lower than steel cans and 83% lower than glass jars. At scale, this equates to 21,000 tonnes less CO₂ per 1 million cans. The package also uses up to 71% FSC™ certified paper, sourced from responsibly managed, renewable forests.
