For lower mercury, choose canned skipjack or light tuna, as they come from smaller fish, with brands like Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, and StarKist Chunk Light being good choices for up to 2-3 servings a week; for the strictest standards, Safe Catch tests every fish for mercury, while Wild Planet also offers lower-mercury options. Avoid canned albacore (white) and bigeye tuna when trying to minimize mercury intake.
If you're concerned about limiting the amount of mercury you consume, and if you've eaten no other fish during the week, Consumer Reports says up to 12 ounces a week of Bumble Bee Chunk Light, Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light, Safe Catch Wild Elite, and StarKist Chunk Light tunas are the safer choices among the products ...
Safe Catch Wild Elite Pure Tuna 142g, Lowest Mercury Of Any Brand.
To limit mercury intake from tuna, here are the guidelines: Best choice: Eat 2 to 3 servings per week of canned light skipjack tuna. Good choice: Eat 1 serving per week of yellowfin tuna or white albacore tuna. Choice to avoid: Don't eat bigeye tuna.
Mercury levels in tuna vary according to the species, where it was caught, and its diet, so Dr Turner recommends looking out for skipjack. “It can contain half the level of mercury found in some other varieties of tuna,” he says.
You would have to eat around 25 tins (at 95g a tin) of it a week before you hit the maximum tolerable intake of mercury. For pregnant people (or people trying to get pregnant), the limit would be around 12 tins (at 95g a tin) a week. It is unlikely many consumers will reach these limits.
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have come up with a novel approach to packaging canned tuna infused in the water-based solution of amino acid cysteine. It was shown to remove up to 35 percent of the accumulated mercury in canned tuna, significantly reducing human exposure to mercury via food.
Buy skipjack and yellowfin tunas labeled pole-caught, pole-and-line, troll-caught, or FAD-free from the Atlantic or Pacific. Avoid all bluefin tuna, except if you confirm it's Pacific bluefin tuna from a yellow-rated source (scroll down for more information). Avoid tuna caught in the Indian Ocean.
Choose fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury such as salmon, trout, tilapia, cod, sole, sardines, shrimp, oysters, and other shellfish.
The healthiest canned fish are small, oily varieties like sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and herring (SMASH), packed with omega-3s, protein, vitamin D, calcium (especially with bones), and lower mercury, with anchovies and sardines often topping the list for overall nutrition and lower cost; salmon is also excellent but choose smaller species like canned sockeye or chum.
Sirena tuna is considered good because of its premium quality, using pole-and-line caught yellowfin tuna, which results in a richer flavor, firm chunky texture, and lower mercury levels compared to other brands. Consumers praise its superior taste, often packed in quality oils or springwater, making it versatile for salads, sandwiches, and meals, despite being a pricier option.
Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, mussels, oysters: The healthiest types of tinned fish.
Top 10 Tunas
The best all-rounder: Sardines
These are top of the list for healthy tinned fish. These small, sustainable fish are rich in omega-3s, calcium (thanks to the edible bones), vitamin D and protein. They're also low in mercury and big on flavour.
The concerns around daily intake stem from its mercury content. However, according to the NHS, which states a healthy, balanced diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, there's nothing there to say you can't eat tuna every day, unless you're trying for a baby, or pregnant.
Canned sardines are often a healthier choice than canned tuna, the experts note. While both are high in protein, sardines are more nutrient-dense. Sardines have a higher combined omega-3 (DHA and EPA) content than tuna fish, says Largeman-Roth. Sardines are also lower in mercury than tuna.
The healthiest canned tuna is typically chunk light skipjack packed in water, due to lower mercury levels and fewer calories than albacore, but for maximum omega-3s, opt for pole-and-line caught albacore (in moderation due to mercury). Look for "no salt added" for sodium control, sustainable sourcing (pole-and-line/FAD-free), and brands that test for mercury (like Safe Catch or Wild Planet https://www.asweetpea).
The unhealthiest fish to eat are typically large, predatory species high in mercury like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and imported tilefish, plus bluefin tuna, which are dangerous for brain/nerve health, especially for pregnant women and children; also, farmed salmon and some imported tilapia/catfish raise concerns for contaminants and antibiotics, while orange roughy and Atlantic cod are often cited for high mercury and overfishing/sustainability issues.
Some tuna cans that say do not drain because they don't add oil, water, fillers, preservatives, and GMO soy broth. Cans that say do not drain contain only tuna or sometimes salmon. They only have natural occurring fish oils and juices and those are rich in omega threes.
Initial signs and symptoms, such as fever, chills, shortness of breath, metallic taste, and pleuritic chest pain, may be confused with metal-fume fever, which is caused by cadmium exposure. Other possible symptoms include stomatitis, lethargy, confusion, and vomiting.
According to the FDA, canned light tuna, made primarily from skipjack, is recognized as a low-mercury fish and is designated a "best choice." The FDA recommends eating 2 to 3 servings a week, or about 8 to 12 ounces.
Safe Catch's Original Elite Wild Tuna. Safe Catch Elite Tuna, simply the lowest mercury tuna of any brand.
The best fish to eat include those that are high in healthy fats, low in mercury, and versatile in the kitchen. The top options include salmon, sardines, cod, mackerel, and herring, according to the pros. We eat tuna and mackerel sparingly due to high lead content in the fish. Delicious and healthy!