Making Healthy Eating Choices
(Mercury and Omega 3's):
Not all Albacore Tuna are the Same

For the past few years there has been a heavy emphasis by the media and anti-fishing groups on the subject of mercury in fish. There has also been a good deal of positive publicity concerning the health benefits of fish that are high in Omega 3's. When making healthy eating choices, it is important to understand that not all albacore tuna are the same. Below is a brief guide that shows how to choose the healthiest and best tasting albacore available.

Mercury in Albacore Tuna

Mercury is a natural element that is found in minute quantities in air, water and all living things. Some fish have more mercury than others depending on their environment and their position in the food chain. Fish absorb mercury in their gills from their environment and as they feed on other aquatic organisms. Until a recent 2003 study done by Oregon State University, no distinction was made between the mercury levels in smaller, younger albacore tuna and larger, older albacore tuna.

Most of the albacore tuna sold in the grocery stores of the US is the larger, older albacore tuna that is caught using long lines off the coast of Asia. These fish are much larger, higher in mercury and lower in Omega 3's than their younger West Coast counterparts. Some producers brag about the fact that their tuna are caught with long lines, and not nets. This is a description of a particular type of fishing that catches larger, higher mercury albacore. All of our fish are caught using simple hook and line, not long line.

Smaller Albacore (West Coast)	Larger Albacore (Imported)
Mercury PPM - 0.140	Mercury PPM - 0.353
Omega 3's - Higher	Omega 3's - Lower
Flavor - Superior	Flavor - Good
Color - Less White	Color - More White

The Food and Drug Administration lists the mercury level of "canned albacore tuna" at .353 parts per million. This figure fails to account for the differences between larger, older, longline-caught albacore and our smaller, locally-caught albacore which in a recent study by Oregon State University have an average mercury content of .140 parts per million. This is less than half of the mercury level of albacore you are likely to find in your supermarket, and nearly the same as "canned light tuna" which the FDA rates at .118 parts per million.

The Color & Flavor of Premium Albacore

Albacore tuna is the only tuna that can be canned using the descriptive term "White Meat." As albacore tuna get older and older, the meat becomes lighter in color. This is due to a loss of body fat, which results in a loss in flavor and a loss of beneficial omega-3's. Large albacore canneries in Japan and other Asian countries export these older, higher mercury, whiter albacore to the United States because if we see "White Meat" on the label, we expect it to be white. In contrast, the younger, more flavorful albacore are actually a light beige color, with better flavor and more health benefits.