Supermarket vs. Custom Canned Troll-Caught Albacore

Most canned albacore found in supermarkets today comes from very large canneries using assembly-line techniques to process huge quantities of tuna at a time. What most people do not realize is that albacore tuna sold by the major brands generally comes from larger, leaner albacore that has been cooked twice – and because of this, many natural juices, flavors, and healthful Omega-3s are lost in the process.

Here’s how it works in the major commercial canneries: the albacore are received, inspected for quality, and then cooked whole on big racks. The cooked fish then travel down an assembly line, where workers remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. During this process many of the natural juices, oils, and Omega-3s drain off the meat and never make it into the cans. The pre-cooked meat is then placed in cans with water, broth, or vegetable oils before being cooked for the second time.

Because younger, smaller, troll-caught albacore naturally have more fat to start with, some of the healthful Omega-3s will still survive the high-volume industrial canning processes and make it to supermarket shelves. However, it is easier for big companies to work with the larger, leaner albacore in the assembly line environment. Starting out with less fatty fish right at the beginning means that virtually no Omega-3s are left in the end product. (Related note: you can tell when the major brands have used troll-caught albacore by checking the nutrient contents label on the side of the can: click here for more information.)

Meanwhile, with all the positive news about the health benefits of Omega-3s, demand is rising for custom canned albacore that are cooked just once in their natural juices to retain all of their Omega-3 essential fatty acids and flavor.

Fishermen Take Action with Custom Canning

Over the years many professional fishermen have been frustrated over having their catch processed into a product that doesn't taste like what they cook up themselves after a hard day's work. Many are also upset by the lack of labels pointing out younger troll-caught albacore in markets that have been overrun and flooded by older, larger albacore that have drier meat.

Some of these fishermen have therefore started paying to have some of their catch custom-canned and labeled to their specifications by small independent canneries. Just as "micro-breweries" offer gourmet beer and ales, these "micro-canners" specialize in providing limited quantities of gourmet albacore. While they can not begin to compete with the high-volume, low-cost commercial albacore that dominate supermarket shelves today, some of their top-quality custom-canned albacore is starting to reach farmers markets, mail order catalogs, speciality shops, and the internet. Most fishermen typically charge anywhere from $3 to $6 per can, which is much higher than the major commercial brands yet still comparible to other top-quality meats such as boneless free-range chicken breasts, veal, selected organic beef cuts, and the like.

So, is such custom canned albacore from fishermen worth the higher price? Absolutely. It is unlikely that the big brand-name commercial canneries can ever adjust their high-volume processing techniques for retaining natural juices and Omega 3s, so the only public access to top-quality albacore will probably remain in the hands of enterprising fishermen who take special pride in their catch. Our advice: try some custom canned albacore and decide for yourself!