Canned Tuna: A Buying Guide

The flavor gap between the best and worst tunas was...stark

Tuna is not only one of Jane’s favorite lunch staples, but it’s also among the most widely consumed seafood products in the United States — behind only salmon and shrimp. It’s also one of the more confusing product categories in the grocery store. Shoppers need to navigate not just a growing array of different brands and price points, but also terms like “chunk light,” “solid white,” “dolphin-safe,” even “FAD-free.” Not to mention the age-old oil vs. water decision!!

By reader request, a few weeks ago Jane and I psyched ourselves up for an afternoon of eating tinned fish. Today we bring you our (dare I say…) definitive guide to buying canned tuna. Our top pick turned out to be a brand I’ve never bought before, and now it’s my go-to. Let’s dive in.

The Hunt

Canned tuna has been a grocery staple since the early 20th century, and in recent years sales have been on a tear. It’s not hard to see why: It’s a convenient, relatively affordable source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids (so hot right now). The best canned tunas can anchor a spectacular tuna salad sandwich or salad Niçoise. The worst, as Jane and I discovered, should be avoided altogether. 

We researched dozens of tuna products for consideration: Albacore, Skipjack, and Yellowtail varieties, packed in both oil and water, from every national (or national-ish) brand we could find. 

One thing we discovered is that the flavor gap between the best and worst products was … stark. In many of our buying guides — yogurt, chicken, even whole wheat bread — the differences in taste are pretty subtle. Not so with tuna!! Flavor and texture were huge considerations here. Our least favorite products tasted like cat food, or had a mushy, livery texture, whereas the best were briny, juicy, and sweet. 

There are also environmental issues to contend with. Some tuna populations are overfished, and conventional fishing practices, such as long-lining and purse-seining (a fancy word for fishing with a long vertical net), scoop up all kinds of other marine life along with the tuna they’re after — not good for our oceans. Some brands have added “Dolphin safe” or “FAD-free” claims to their labels to assuage consumers worried about fishing practices. (FAD stands for a “Fish Aggregating Device,” 10 points to any reader who knows what that is.) This is all very technical stuff for the casual seafood buyer, but the tl;dr is that both labeling claims have been found to be misleading.  

We looked for brands that use pole-and-line as their catch method — the most environmentally-friendly way to fish for tuna, but also a more labor-intensive one, which tends to mean higher prices. To expand the pool of options, we also sought out products that carry a Marine Stewardship Council certification. This is a good indication that the tuna was caught responsibly, and from waters with healthy tuna stocks.

Human rights abuses are also a big concern when it comes to tuna; forced labor is commonplace on distant water fishing vessels, the boats that travel far away from their home port and spend long periods of time at sea, operating out of Asia. Unfortunately, the “big three” tuna brands –– StarKist, Bumble Bee, and Chicken of the Sea –– have not done enough to tackle the slavery that is currently a part of their supply chains. For us, this was a disqualifying issue.  

Lastly, price was also a significant factor here. The least expensive tunas cost around $2 per 5 ounce can –– see above point about forced labor –– and the most expensive grocery store options were as much as five times that price. Though tunas at the top end of the price range were universally delicious, a $10 can of tuna is not really practical for most people’s everyday routines. We tried to find products that met all our ethical and flavor criteria, but didn’t cost a fortune.  

Read on for our top picks, plus the low-down on mercury in tuna and why you can ignore those “wild-caught” label claims …

Our Picks