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United States product record

Canned Sardines: How Commercial Products Changed Over Time

A dated United States record of canned sardines products, packages, formulations, prices, claims, and commercial milestones.

3 product families13 confirmed observations2004 to August 30, 2026Updated
Two opened rectangular sardine tins displaying glossy whole sardines in golden olive oil and spiced tomato sauce beside crusty sourdough
Canned sardines vary by fish species (Atlantic pilchard vs Pacific sardine), cannery origin, and packing medium from organic extra virgin olive oil to pure oil. Image: The Foods That Shaped Us Research Desk. Image terms. Request permission.

Current evidence status

This record follows 3 canned sardines product families in the U.S. market. It reports only dated, confirmed fields. A blank year means no qualifying observation, not that the product stayed the same.

The historical identity behind the products

Sardines have sustained coastal European communities for millennia through salting and smoking, but the invention of airtight tin canning by Nicolas Appert and Joseph Colin in 19th-century Brittany transformed the fish into an industrial global staple for soldiers, miners, and seafaring crews. In the modern era, Portuguese and Spanish conservas culture has reframed canned sardines as artisanal gastronomic treasures; this buying guide evaluates current United States retail choices, species labels, packing liquids, and culinary use cases.

Read the full Canned Sardines history

Confirmed commercial timeline

  1. Wild Planet Foods was established to pioneer sustainable wild-caught canned seafood

    Wild Planet Foods dates its founding to 2004 to build 100% sustainably wild-caught, scale-free tinned seafood distributed across the United States.

  2. Current U.S. product snapshots compiled

    Catalogue identity, formulation, package-price, and availability fields were recorded separately so later changes can be compared without overwriting this baseline.

Current product snapshot

Current confirmed product, formulation, package, observed price, availability, and observation date
ProductFormula / formatPackage and priceStatus
Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive OilObserved August 30, 2026Wild-caught scale-free whole sardines in extra virgin olive oil; 4.4 oz (125 g) canSardines (Sardinops sagax or Sardina pilchardus), organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt.$3.994.4 oz / 125 g$0.91 per ozavailableSource
da Morgada / Zingerman's Portuguese Sardines in Pure Olive OilObserved August 30, 2026Plump hand-packed Portuguese Atlantic sardines in pure olive oil; 4.4 oz (125 g) tinSardines (Sardina pilchardus), olive oil, salt.$9.504.4 oz / 125 g$2.16 per ozavailableSource
Matiz España Wild Sardines in 100% Spanish Olive OilObserved August 30, 2026Whole wild-caught Spanish sardines in olive oil; 4.2 oz (120 g) tinSardines (Sardina pilchardus), olive oil, salt.$5.994.2 oz / 120 g$1.43 per ozavailableSource

These are point-in-time observations, not permanent offers. Tax, shipping, subscriptions, bundles, promotions, and local stock are not assumed unless the record states them.

Formulation and package changes

This pilot establishes a 2026 baseline. No earlier formulation or package is treated as comparable unless a dated observation is present. Later confirmed changes will append to this record.

Ownership, manufacturing, recalls, and authenticity

No additional qualifying event is currently recorded beyond the dated timeline above. Absence from this dataset is not proof that an event never occurred.

Trend observations

No aggregate trend metric is published for this identity unless its value, geography, period, sample, and source can be stated together. Product counts in this record describe the tracked sample, not the whole U.S. market.

Download the public record

The files contain confirmed derived observations, evidence metadata, source links, and checksums. They do not reproduce restricted source captures.

JSON dataCSV observationsMethodology

Evidence and provenance

  1. [1]Canned fish is now a vibe — Business Insider; 2026. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  2. [2]Are Sardines Beauty's Best-Kept Skin Care Secret? — Elle; 2026. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  3. [3]Seafood Health and Nutrition: Canned Sardines — NOAA Fisheries / Seafood Health Facts; 2023. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  4. [4]Matiz Wild Sardines in Olive Oil Details — Rainbow Tomatoes Garden; 2026. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  5. [5]Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 540.590: Sardines - Standards of Identity and Labeling — U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 2020. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  6. [6]About Wild Planet: Our Mission & History — Wild Planet Foods; 2004. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  7. [7]Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Product Details — Wild Planet Foods; 2026. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.
  8. [8]Portuguese Sardines da Morgada Specifications — Zingerman's Mail Order; 2026. Captured 2026-08-29. metadata only.

Where to explore next

Current buying guide Full food history All Food Evolution records