Albacore Wild Tuna

The average mercury content of tuna rises with the age and size of the fish. Wild Planet only sources pole and line as well as troll caught tuna, which are the younger and smaller, migratory tuna that are caught near the surface. These fish (3-5 years of age) have accumulated lower levels of mercury as compared to older and larger tuna (6-12 years old) which live at much lower depths and in a different part of the Pacific Ocean. Our annual testing protocol, summarized in the accompanying document, verifies that Wild Planet tuna products average 0.067PPM for Skipjack (which is 14 times lower than the FDA “Action Limit” of 1.0PPM), 0.137PPM for Yellowfin (which is 7 times lower than the FDA “Action Limit” of 1.0PPM), and 0.17PPM for Albacore (which is six times lower than the FDA “Action Limit” of 1.0PPM). Wild Planet has been controlling the average and range of mercury in its products since 2004 and continues to do so. Please read the Wild Planet perspective on this topic here: The Wild Planet Perspective:
Mercury Content In Tuna.

For information on FDA fish consumption recommendations based on mercury screening values, you may also view these three individual charts, each tailored for Adults, Children, or Pregnant Women.

Watch Mercury Video

Our albacore and skipjack tuna has no liquid added; it is simply tuna in its own juices. Our sashimi grade tuna steaks are hand cut and placed in the can, sealed and then cooked. The liquid present when you open the can is only what was originally in the fish itself. That is why we recommend that you use the liquid, and the nutrition panel is based on the whole contents, both meat and liquid.

An exception to this method is our tuna packed in extra virgin olive oil or pure olive oil.

We cook our tuna only once*, in the can, retaining all of its natural long chain Omega‑3 fatty acids. Most conventional brands cook their fish before putting it in the can, thereby losing valuable Omega‑3’s, then add oil or water to the cooked fish before the final cook/sterilization.

* For a more complete explanation of the once cooked process, please see Are Wild Planet albacore and skipjack tuna packed in water or oil? in this section.

We use only the highest quality fish. In addition, sustainable harvest methods are more costly to practice, and the smaller fish caught yield less meat recovery in comparison with long-line caught fish. Also, our tuna is hand-cut and packed, which is a labor-intensive process.

Finally, we pack 100% tuna and sea salt; no liquid is added. So you get a 5oz whole steak in every can; compared to 3.5 ounces of tuna and the rest water or oil, as found in conventional tuna brands. This results in 40% more tuna per can, making once cooked Wild Planet tuna an outstanding value.