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Not all canned tunas are created equal

Posted on Aug 8th 2007 8:02PM by Rigel Celeste

Filed Under: Nutrition & Supplements

I remember when I was a kid and my family banned tuna because dolphins were getting caught in the nets. Well that's not an issue these days as I can't remember the last time I saw a brand that wasn't labeled "dolphin safe." But buying a can of tuna is still more complicated than just brand name versus store brand and big can versus little can. It's all about whether it's packed in water, broth, or oil and if it's the cheaper chunk light pink tuna or the more expensive albacore white. Looking for help sorting out the differences? Check this out -- it's got all the types broken down into handy charts so you can shop smart and get exactly what you want and what's best for your situation.

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8 Comment

Tags: can, canned, fish, food, groceries, grocery, seafood, shopper, shopping, smart shopper, SmartShopper, supermarket, tuna

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Maureen 8-11-2007 @ 3:21PM

Tuna has been one of the staples of my diet since I was a child (longer ago than I want to share). Back then the only brand my family ate was StarKist. But after several incidents of finding bones and even pieces of glass in the cans, we switched to Bumble Bee and never looked back.

I won't buy anything except Bumble Bee Solid White (Albacore) tuna - in oil or water. These days, many markets run a 10 for $10 deal on it, so when they do I stock up, as it's a savings of about 35%.

To me, it's the best tuna available, and well worth the higher price. However, it is often difficult to find consistency in canned tuna. You can buy 5 cans of the same brand, from the same store, at the same time; and still find some that are much better in both appearance and taste than their counterparts from the same shelf.

John Mc Carroll 8-11-2007 @ 4:32PM

Rigel, I am glad to see someone such as yourself to take the time to educate others about the difference in products that are consumed by consumers. However, I would be careful about the amount of tuna that one consumes. Tuna is very high in mercury,but a person as intelligent as you are probably already knows that. They say the benefits out weigh the risks. This is not true. The mercury is trapped in the lymph node system in your body for life! Only an approved bodily cleanse with charcoal will remove it. They use this method on heroine addicts. You are much better off with a good quality cod liver oil pill consumed daily. I stopped eating tuna four years ago. If they were to put the amount of mercury in the can on the label, it would wipe out the tuna industry. They have already told pregnant women to stop eating it or limit their consumption. Good luck!

Pandabonium 6-08-2010 @ 1:01AM

Troll-caught Albacore are young fish and so have not built up the toxins that larger, older, net caught tuna contain. Typically, the amount of mercury in such fish is undetectable. The younger fish also contain more Omega-3 fatty acid. This method of fishing is also sustainable.

Rather than end the tuna fishing industry, I would like to see it well regulated, and put an end to coal burning power plants which put out so much of the mercury in our oceans.

Charlie 8-11-2007 @ 5:24PM

I have really started to eat very healthy lol I thought, skinless chicken and vegtables with garlic and yes real butter and A lot of Bumbblee bee Tuna Albacore solid white in water on multi grain bread. My point is this. Mercury ? I have been told this but kind of was like Grrr. Is this true? I should not really eat this much tuna? like four times a week. I really do enjoy it.
Thank's if you seriously answer this.

aerosmithlover 8-11-2007 @ 6:46PM

Check out the ingredients. There should be no mention of soy "anything." There should only be the tuna, water or oil, maybe some salt , phosphate, and nothing else. Anything soy makes it mushy sometimes. Sometimes soy is used as a filler. Many of the top name brands have soy. I've found some of the store brands have no soy products added, so it doesn't matter the name on the can, just what's in it.

Murray Denemark 8-11-2007 @ 7:13PM

Boo to Bumble Bee Tuna. I grew up on that brand too.
However, I found Costco's Kirkland Brand albacore SOLID white meat tuna solid pack in water, to be the best. Bumble Bee's Tuna was coming in in crumbles not solid as the product states. Besides its delicious. 8 cans for $9.49. Always consistant.

JoAnn 8-11-2007 @ 7:17PM

We have found the Kirkland Brand Tuna at Costco to be one of the best canned tunas on the market. It is solid white Albacore, packed in water and as the can says "superior quality". None of this looking like it should have been packed for the cat food aisle tuna.

Joe G. 8-11-2007 @ 7:42PM

I have used all the major brands including Kirkland and have always favored Bumble Bee, until the day I opened a can and after dumping the contents into a bowl, discovered a fly at the bottom.
I immediately emailed Bumble Bee with all the numbers off the can to notifying them of this situation.
I received a couple of coupons in the mail, along with a letter bragging about their quality control and the unlikely possibilty that a fly could have been added to the menu.
Since I kept the tainted product in the refrigerator, against my wifes wishes, I was tempted to return this can to Bumble Bee along with the coupons, but common sense prevailed.