Tuna is always a favorite in the kitchen. It is sold both in fresh and canned form. But how good are canned fish really?
SWR Marktcheck scrutinized cans of tuna from different brands and suppliers and tested them for taste and harmful substances such as mercury and bisphenol A.
How healthy is canned tuna?
Oily fish can provide us with a variety of important nutrients. These include proteins and important fats such as omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains important components such as vitamin D and minerals including iron, iodine, copper, selenium and calcium.
These nutrients are found in all available varieties of tuna. However, canned tuna contains more salt and calories.
These canned foods have been tested
Only canned tuna in its own juice was tested and drained before blind tasting. The products were as follows:
- Lidl at a price of 0.93 euros per 100 grams drained weight
- Edeka at €2.07 per 100 grams of plums
- Deutsche See at a price of €2.14 per 100 grams of plums.
- Hawesta at a price of €2.49 per 100 grams of plums
- Followfood at a price of €2.68 per 100 grams drained weight
- Saupiquet at a price of €2.76 per 100 grams drained weight
Which tuna tastes better
The taste of the tuna was tested by numerous experts such as fish sommelier Andreas Alt, fishmonger Antonio Prendes and restaurateur and chef Salvatore Marrazzo.
The tuna from Edeka received particularly high marks for its flavor, which Prendes said melted in the mouth. Like the fish from Followfood, it was also visually compelling due to its large-bite structure. In terms of flavor, however, Followfood is far ahead.
Unfortunately, the most expensive tuna from Saupiquet was unconvincing either visually or in terms of flavor. The cheapest product from Lidl did not score highly either.
Both Hawesta and Deutsche See did not stand out negatively and had acceptable flavor.
How harmful substances get into tuna
In the past, tuna has unfortunately often been found to be contaminated with mercury. But how does it get into tuna in the first place?
This can be traced back to industry. When coal or waste is burned, mercury vapors are produced, which are released into the atmosphere and then into the sea. The mercury accumulates in plankton, which then passes on to fish that feed on the plankton. In the food chain, the pollutant passes on to larger predatory fish.
These pollutants are contained
There is some good news: mercury levels in most of the products were well below the EU limit. The cans were also analyzed for bisphenol A, a chemical that poses a potential health hazard. Jürgen Stelpflug from the Consumer Protection Association commented in the Marktcheckt magazine as follows: “Bisphenol A damages the endocrine system, the immune system and the human reproductive system.”
Bisphenol A was not detected in fish from Edeka and Lidl. Followfood, Deutsche See and Saupiquet do not use bisphenol A, but the presence of small amounts of residues cannot be ruled out. Hawesta has decided to comply with the new EU requirements.
Tuna – is it sustainable today?
It depends on various factors. The best-selling species of tuna is skipjack, followed by yellowfin tuna. Its stocks are considered healthy. The bigeye and bluefin tuna, on the other hand, are listed in the red list of endangered species. Another indicator is the method used to catch the fish. The most sustainable method is hand fishing or purse seine fishing without bait buoys with nets open on the bottom. Finally, familiarity with the MSC label is a good indicator of sustainability.
Only Saupiquet and Deutsche See do not have the MSC label but are on the way to obtaining it. Deutsche See’s tuna fishery is already MSC certified, and Saupiquet plans to certify all of its products by 2030.
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