Age-at-Harvest Makes a Significant Difference
in taste, consistency, color, and health benefits

Throughout history people have realized that the meat from younger animals tends to be more tender and flavorful than the larger, breeding-aged animals of the same species. There is a significant difference between veal and beef, although both have their own unique characteristics and culinary merits. Then just as lamb is more tender and succulent than the much tougher mutton from older sheep, the meat from younger albacore tuna is more moist, rich tasting, and flavorful than the very large albacore in the older year classes.

However, unlike veal and beef – or lamb and mutton – most consumers do not know how to choose between younger and older albacore tuna. Canned albacore from the major brands found in supermarkets is not marked with age-at-harvest information, nor are such labels provided for albacore steaks and loins. It is a fact that cans of the very same brand – sold at the very same price – often contain albacore with very different characteristics.

Most people are thus left to wonder why a specific brand of canned albacore will taste similar to a moist chicken breast on one day, but then dry with less flavor on another day. Others wonder why the fat content shown on nutrition labels (which reflect the content of beneficial Omega 3s) can vary radically – from ½ a gram all the way up to 5 grams – on otherwise identical cans of albacore from the same company. Then some people worry when they open a can of tuna marked "white meat" but find cream colored or pink meat instead. These are all natural differences, and the answers to these questions rests in the age-at-harvest.

Age Selection by Fishing Gear

Albacore tuna are fast-swimming fish that travel thousands of miles every year – in the Pacific, albacore tuna regularly swim from the waters outside Japan all the way to the west coast of North America and back. During the first three to five years of their lives, plump young premium-quality albacore swim near the water's surface in loose schools. Then when albacore get older, albacore become more independent and begin spending most of their time in deeper, cooler waters. Their foraging habits and diet also change, resulting in leaner, less moist muscle mass.

Younger albacore swim near the surface while older, larger albacore swim in much deeper waters. This means entirely different fishing gear and techniques are used to catch albacore during different stages of their lives:

Younger, troll-caught albacore: Some of the younger 3 to 5 year old albacore that are found near the ocean's surface are caught with short fishing lines that are attached to barbless hooks. The hooks are hidden inside rubber "hoola skirts" that dance in the water and attract albacore [click here to see the "Rig a Jig" Flash movie] Ten to twenty of these simple "jigs" are towed behind a slow-moving boat – this is called trolling -- and when an albacore bites a hook it is immediately removed from the water and prepared for freezing. Troll-caught albacore therefore refers to 3 to 5 year old albacore tuna that were caught by jig boats.

Older, larger albacore: Because older, larger albacore are found in deep waters far below the ocean's surface, ordinary jigs on short lines can not reach them. Much longer fishing lines rigged with hundreds of fishing hooks are therefore used to reach deep-swimming older albacore. Since the fish are much further away from the boat, it takes more time to set and retreive the gear, and therefore longer between the time that the fish are caught and frozen.

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Related information

Sneak a Peek: what do the major US tuna canneries have to say about younger and older albacore? Click here to see...

HOT TIP! How to identify younger troll-caught albacore in the can before you make a purchase, and without even opening the can!

Be the expert! What to expect from "white meat" tuna both in the can and on the grill discusses the often misleading "white meat" designation, and differences in color and fat content.

Animated "Flash" Movie! Meet the Pacific Albacore Tuna animated movie serves as an introduction to the biology and life history of the species, and also includesinformation on the different characteristics of younger and older albacore.