Tuna labels aren’t exactly easy to parse — it can be surprisingly tricky to understand what you’re buying. Here’s a breakdown of the most common terms you’ll find on a can.
White versus light tuna: In the US, canned tuna is usually labeled as either “white tuna” or “light tuna” rather than by species, though some brands also identify the exact species used in the can.
White tuna always refers to albacore, which is visually, well, white. It’s a large species of tuna, so it generally contains more mercury than smaller species. It’s also a very popular type of tuna in the US, with its meaty texture and a milder flavor. (It’s no coincidence one of the biggest companies in the industry is named Chicken of the Sea.)
Light tuna, on the other hand, can refer to a variety of smaller species of tuna, which often have more complex, overtly “fishy” flavors. The flesh also tends to have a pinker or browner hue than albacore. The most common species of light tuna sold in the US are skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, and tongol. Skipjack are often smaller in size than albacore, so they generally have a lower mercury content.
Solid versus chunk: “Solid” cans are packed with intact fillets of tuna, which are dense, meaty, and flaky. Chunk tuna, on the other hand, is a mishmash of fish flesh pieces, which is why it has a shredded, mushier texture.
Pole and line: This is the gold standard for sustainable tuna fishing. Each fish is caught one by one on fishing poles, which helps keep fish populations abundant and reduces bycatch of other marine life. This method is also slower, which is why companies that use pole-and-line fishing methods (like Conservas Ortiz and Fishwife) can be more expensive. Because pole-and-line tuna fishing often operates on vessels closer to home with more regular returns to port — unlike longline fishing and some purse seining methods where boats are out at sea for months at a time — it often has a better track record for human rights violations as well.
Longline and purse seining: Other common methods of fishing include longline fishing and purse seining, which are used by large companies like Bumble Bee, Dongwon, and StarKist. These methods are often criticized for their large amount of bycatch, which refers to the marine life (including protected animals like sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and even seabirds) that get unintentionally caught and then discarded.
Wild-caught: When you buy many types of seafood, such as shrimp and salmon, it’s often marketed as either farm-raised or wild-caught. Interestingly, almost all tuna that gets canned for human consumption is wild-caught, but many companies still use the term on their labels, likely because customers associate it with higher quality.
Marine Stewardship Council: To carry the MSC’s blue label, a fishery has to pass an independent audit every year to verify they maintain healthy fish stock levels and that the fishing operation has minimal impact on the marine environment. Just note that this certification is granted toward fisheries, not entire brands or companies.
If you’re looking for an MSC-certified can, read labels carefully: Some products from a company may be MSC-certified, while others are not.
Dolphin-safe: If a can is labeled “dolphin-safe,” that means the tuna meets legal standards about protecting dolphins during tuna harvest. Among other requirements, the tuna can’t have been caught by intentionally encircling dolphins with purse seine nets. But it doesn’t address the accidental bycatch of other marine life. (In the US, dolphin-safe labeling is governed by NOAA Fisheries under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act.)
