Tetra Pak has partnered with Spanish seafood producer Jealsa to introduce what it describes as the industry’s first carton packaging for shelf-stable tuna, offering a paper-based alternative to traditional metal cans. The launch uses Tetra Pak’s Tetra Recart format and marks a significant development for ambient seafood packaging, a category long dominated by steel cans and glass jars.

The tuna products are being packed for Jealsa’s brands Rianxeira, Mare Aperto and Robinson Crusoe. The format was launched through Swedish retailer Axfood and is expected to become available to food producers and brands worldwide. For the seafood sector, the move signals a broader shift toward packaging systems that combine long shelf life with lower carbon impact and stronger retail differentiation.

Tetra Recart is designed for shelf-stable foods that require robust processing, protection and distribution performance. By applying the format to tuna, Tetra Pak and Jealsa are challenging one of the most established packaging conventions in the food industry. Cans have been trusted for decades because they provide strength, food safety and long ambient shelf life, but brands are now under pressure to evaluate carbon footprint, material efficiency and consumer convenience.

Moving tuna from a round metal can to a rectangular carton changes not only the material story, but also shelf visibility, logistics efficiency and brand communication.

According to Tetra Pak, the carton solution delivers the lowest carbon footprint in its category, with emissions claimed to be 85% lower than steel cans and 83% lower than glass jars. The company says this could represent a reduction of 21,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every one million cans replaced, underlining the scale of impact that packaging substitution can have in high-volume food categories.

The sustainability argument is based on the use of a paper-based carton structure, lighter material weight and more efficient logistics. Cartons can be transported and stacked differently from cans and jars, potentially reducing space requirements across storage, distribution and retail. For food producers, such gains can support both environmental targets and operational efficiency.

Functionality is also central to the launch. Tetra Pak highlights the carton’s ease of handling, efficient stacking and distinctive rectangular shape. In retail environments, these qualities can matter as much as material choice. Compact formats that fit tightly together can increase the number of units displayed per metre, improving shelf productivity for retailers and visibility for brands.

• Lower carbon impact: Tetra Pak claims major emissions reductions compared with steel cans and glass jars.
• Retail efficiency: the rectangular format supports tighter stacking and better use of shelf space.
• Brand storytelling: flat carton panels provide larger areas for graphics, claims and consumer information.

The pack’s large, flat surfaces also create new design opportunities. Traditional cans offer limited front-facing communication space and often rely on wraparound labels. A carton can provide clearer storytelling, stronger product imagery and more room for sustainability messages, preparation guidance and nutritional information. This may be especially valuable as seafood brands compete for younger consumers seeking convenience and responsible packaging.

For Jealsa, the partnership gives its tuna brands a way to differentiate in a mature category. Rianxeira, Mare Aperto and Robinson Crusoe can use the carton format to present shelf-stable tuna in a more contemporary way, while responding to growing retailer and consumer interest in lower-impact packaging. The launch through Axfood also demonstrates how retailers can play a role in accelerating packaging change by supporting new formats on shelf.

The development may encourage other ambient food categories to reconsider long-standing packaging formats. If tuna can move successfully into a carton while maintaining safety, quality and shelf stability, similar approaches could be explored for other seafood, ready meals, pulses or protein-rich foods traditionally packed in metal or glass.

However, success will depend on consumer acceptance, recycling access, pack performance and cost competitiveness. Metal cans benefit from strong familiarity and established recycling streams in many markets. Carton-based alternatives must therefore clearly communicate their benefits while ensuring that end-of-life systems are understood by consumers and supported by local infrastructure.

Tetra Pak and Jealsa’s tuna carton launch represents a notable packaging milestone for shelf-stable seafood. By combining paper-based materials, efficient geometry and high-impact branding space, the format aims to reduce environmental impact while offering practical benefits for retailers and producers. As food brands continue to reassess packaging footprints, the move from cans to cartons could become an important signal of change in ambient food packaging.

Image concept: a supermarket shelf showing rectangular Tetra Recart tuna cartons from Rianxeira, Mare Aperto and Robinson Crusoe beside traditional cans, highlighting lower carbon footprint, paper-based packaging and efficient shelf stacking.