8 US Canned Tuna Brands to AVOID — And 4 That Are Actually Safe

In February 2025, canned tuna sold at Costco, Trader Joe's, Walmart and H-E-B was recalled over a lid defect that risked contamination with clostridium botulinum. The cans were quarantined. On January 22, 2026, federal officials announced a distributor had released them back into the supply chain anyway — and they had to be pulled a second time, out of stores in nine states. Nobody noticed for eleven months. 🛒 Is canned tuna safe? The honest answer depends on one word on the label. "Solid" and "chunk" tell you the size of the pieces. "White" always means albacore. "Light" usually means skipjack — and usually is doing a lot of work. The Meat Exposed Shopping Guide breaks down what to skip, why, and what to buy instead — product by product. In this investigation we go through 8 canned tuna products using public records only: FDA recall notices, federal court records, FDA mercury sampling data, and Consumer Reports' analysis of it. Then 4 options that actually hold up. We cover the recall that came back, the Pulitzer Prize-winning forced labor investigation behind one of the biggest brands, the CEO who served 40 months in federal prison for price fixing, why oil-packed tuna drains away the nutrition you paid for, why the premium can has three times the mercury of the cheap one, and the labeling gap in the exact product the FDA recommends to pregnant women. We also correct the most repeated claim on the internet about canned tuna — the escolar story — because it's from sushi bars, not cans, and it's crowding out the real problems. Stay to the end for the swap that solves almost every issue in this video and costs less than what you're buying now. Sources: FDA recall notices and announcements, US Department of Justice and federal court records, FDA mercury sampling data, Consumer Reports analysis and comments to the FDA, FDA/EPA fish consumption advice, Oceana seafood fraud study, Associated Press investigative reporting. Disclaimer: For general consumer awareness and educational purposes only, not medical or dietary advice. Mercury figures cited are species averages published by the FDA; individual cans vary. Consumer Reports' position is more conservative than current FDA guidance and is identified as such in the video. Companies named have issued statements and several have restructured or changed sourcing. Always verify the current label and official FDA recall information, and follow your doctor's advice during pregnancy. #CannedTuna #FoodSafety #MercuryInFish #GroceryShopping #FoodLabels is canned tuna safe,canned tuna brands to avoid,best canned tuna,mercury in tuna,chunk light tuna,albacore vs light tuna,skipjack tuna,yellowfin mercury,canned tuna recall,tuna botulism recall,starkist price fixing,bumble bee tuna,chicken of the sea,thai union,safe catch tuna,wild planet tuna,tuna mercury pregnancy,safest canned tuna,canned tuna mislabeling,escolar tuna,seafood fraud,what tuna to buy,tuna label explained,sardines vs tuna,grocery brands to avoid