Canned Tuna

Also known asTinned Tuna

Name: Canned tuna — tuna cooked and packed in oil, water or brine, sold as chunks, flakes or solid fillets. Skipjack is sold as “light” tuna, and albacore as “white” tuna. Yellowfin is also used.

Description

Tuna canning began in California in the early 20th century, when the albacore fishery began to supply a cheap protein, and the first canned albacore was packed in San Pedro in 1903. It became a staple of the American lunchbox, and spread across the world, with Thailand, Spain, Ecuador and the Philippines among the biggest producers.

Different species give different products: skipjack is stronger tasting and cheaper, and albacore is paler, firmer and milder. Larger tuna live longer and accumulate more mercury, so albacore and yellowfin contain more mercury than skipjack. Dolphin-safe and sustainable labels indicate how the fish was caught.

Main nutrition value

Canned tuna is a lean, high-protein food that provides selenium, vitamin B12, niacin and vitamin D, with moderate omega-3 fats, most of which are retained in tuna canned in water or in oil that is not drained.

How best to be consumed

Canned tuna is ready to eat, and very versatile.

1. Mix with mayonnaise or yoghurt, celery and herbs for sandwiches and salads.
2. Stir into pasta, rice dishes, pizza, jacket potatoes, fishcakes and casseroles.
3. Choose skipjack (light) tuna more often, and limit albacore, to keep mercury down.
4. Choose tuna in water or olive oil, and in spring water rather than brine, where possible.
5. Keep unopened cans in a cool, dry place, and once opened transfer any leftovers to a covered container in the fridge and use within two days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Canned tuna is healthy, but mercury matters more here than with most canned fish.

1. Mercury, a metal that builds up in fish and can affect the developing nervous system, so pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children should follow local advice on how much and which fish to eat. Light (skipjack) tuna is lower in mercury than albacore and yellowfin, and many health authorities advise limiting albacore.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, so choose no-added-salt or low-sodium cans where you can and rinse before eating.
3. Scombroid (histamine) poisoning, causing flushing, headache, rash and stomach upset within minutes to hours, from fish that were stored too warm before canning or in the fridge once opened, so keep opened cans cold and use quickly.
4. Fish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid fish and check labels, including fish in sauces and dressings.

GroupsCanned FishFinfishHigh proteinLow fatRich in seleniumRich in vitamin B12Canned

Made fromFresh Tuna

Related foodsCanned SalmonCanned MackerelCanned SardinesCanned AnchoviesCanned HerringCanned Trout

Wikipedia — Tuna, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna