Standing in the canned fish aisle can feel overwhelming when you’re faced with dozens of tuna options. Some cans cost less than two dollars while others run closer to six or seven. The price difference seems huge, but does it really matter which one you toss in your cart? Turns out, it absolutely does. Multiple blind taste tests reveal that some brands deliver mushy, fishy-tasting tuna that won’t improve no matter how much mayo you add, while others actually taste like something you’d want to eat. Here’s what you need to know before your next grocery run.
StarKist keeps landing at the bottom
Despite being one of the most recognizable names in the tuna world, StarKist consistently ranks among the worst options in blind taste tests. The main complaint? The fish tastes overwhelmingly fishy in the worst possible way. Tasters describe it as having a cleaning shack smell that brings back memories of gutting fish rather than eating a nice sandwich. The texture doesn’t help either, coming across as mushy and unpleasant. When someone conducting a taste test can’t even finish a small bite, that’s a pretty clear sign something’s wrong with the product.
The water-packed albacore version doesn’t fare much better. While it looks like typical canned tuna when you crack open the lid, the experience goes downhill fast. The chunks come out dry with a strange sawdust-like taste that no amount of crackers can mask. Sure, it’s cheap at around $1.69 for a five-ounce can, but you’re basically paying for something that needs to be buried under tons of other ingredients to become edible. Even mixed into a tuna salad with plenty of rich add-ins, the blandly salty taste barely registers as tuna at all.
Chicken of the Sea disappoints despite name recognition
Remember Jessica Simpson wondering if Chicken of the Sea was actually chicken or fish? Well, after tasting it, you might understand her confusion because it doesn’t taste strongly of either. The brand that made its mark in pop culture, unfortunately, makes barely any mark on your palate. Opening a can reveals tuna swimming in what looks like a puddle of water, which isn’t exactly appetizing. The fish itself comes out bone-dry despite being submerged, and the minimal-sodium version tastes completely leached of any real character.
At just over a dollar per can, it’s one of the cheapest options available, but sometimes cheap comes with consequences. The texture feels chalky, and the oil (which is actually soybean oil, not olive oil) tastes thin and watery. Multiple testers agree that something about the texture goes from dry to completely disintegrating in your mouth. No amount of mayo or cheese in a casserole can rescue this fish from its bland fate. If you need gum after eating your tuna, that’s probably not a good sign.
Bumble Bee suffers from serious texture problems
Bumble Bee shows up in pretty much every grocery store, making it a convenient choice when you’re grabbing supplies. The problem is that convenience doesn’t equal quality. The albacore version packed in water looks wrong from the moment you pop the lid. Instead of nice flaky chunks, the tuna appears totally dried out and pre-chewed. One taster couldn’t even form words to express their displeasure, just shaking their head in tight-lipped silence while trying to finish the bite.
The oil-packed version contains soybean oil and vegetable broth, which is an unusual combination that doesn’t improve things. While the chunks come out in large square hunks, they’re so dry that you need to add extra moisture just to make them palatable. The company has dealt with price-fixing scandals and bankruptcy in recent years, which might explain why quality seems to have taken a back seat. When your tuna gets described as having a sawdust flavor, it’s time to look for other options on the shelf.
Safe Catch tastes metallic despite sustainability claims
Safe Catch makes bold promises about being the lowest mercury option and testing every single fish, which sounds great on paper. They pack their tuna without water, oil, or any preservatives, letting it sit in its own juices. At over four dollars for a five-ounce can, you’d expect something special. Instead, you get pinky-grey chunks that taste overwhelmingly metallic and salty. The aftertaste lingers in an unpleasant way that makes you want to immediately rinse your mouth.
The fishy vibes don’t come across as a clean tuna taste either. Multiple testers found the bitter flavor particularly off-putting, wondering if maybe the oil had gone rancid. While the texture isn’t as dry as some other brands, that single positive point can’t make up for how unpleasant it tastes. When a product costs twice as much as regular tuna but delivers worse results, the sustainability claims start to feel like the only thing you’re paying for. Save your money and skip this one entirely.
Blue Harbor brings grittiness nobody asked for
Blue Harbor tuna sits on shelves, making promises about being line-caught with a Marine Stewardship Council label, which sounds promising. Line catching means less environmental impact and more sustainable fishing practices. Unfortunately, good fishing methods don’t automatically translate to good eating. The taste barely registers at all, leaving you with almost nothing to actually rate. When tuna is this bland, you start wondering if there’s actually fish in the can.
What does come through loud and clear is the texture, which feels gritty like dampened sandpaper. That’s not something anyone wants in their lunch. The lack of character means even excellent sustainability practices can’t compensate for an eating experience that ranges from boring to unpleasant. You could dump this into a recipe with tons of other ingredients, and it still wouldn’t contribute anything meaningful. When your main ingredient is this forgettable, you might as well leave it off your shopping list entirely.
Trader Joe’s delivers bland fish with a clumpy texture
Trader Joe’s usually nails their store brand products, but their canned tuna misses the mark. The albacore version comes packed in water with minimal ingredients, which should be a good thing. The fish doesn’t taste overly fishy, which some people appreciate, but it also doesn’t taste like much of anything else. The mild character means you’re basically getting wet protein with no real personality. Even on a cracker with mayo, it fails to make an impression.
The bigger issue is how the fish behaves when you try to use it. Instead of breaking into nice flakes, it clumps together in an unappealing way. The tuna is packed so tightly in the can that you have to work to get it out, and then it won’t separate properly once you do. Combined with a slightly dry texture, the whole experience feels like more trouble than it’s worth. Trader Joe’s does offer information about their fishing practices, but good intentions don’t fix mediocre tuna.
Wild Planet tastes bitter and wrong
Wild Planet promotes its sustainable fishing methods and smaller fish that contain naturally lower mercury levels. They use hook and line fishing to reduce catching other species by accident. The company packs its albacore in olive oil without adding water, which should create a rich, moist product. At five dollars per can, it’s positioned as a premium option. The reality doesn’t match the marketing.
Testers immediately noticed something off about this tuna. The overwhelming reaction was negative, with people commenting on an acrid, bitter taste that suggested the olive oil might have gone rancid. The fishy character comes through too strongly, and the aftertaste sticks around long after you finish eating. One taster simply stated that something’s wrong, which pretty much sums up the experience. When you’re paying premium prices for a product that tastes off, it’s an easy decision to leave it on the shelf and grab something else.
Cento fails to make any impression at all
Cento tuna comes with certifications about being wild caught, dolphin safe, and sustainable with full traceability. The label sports the Marine Stewardship Council logo, which indicates responsible fishing practices. These are all positive things that should make this tuna a solid choice. Instead, it manages to be both forgettable and not good at the same time, which is almost impressive in its own way.
The olive oil tastes thin and lifeless, failing to add any richness to the fish. Multiple testers noted that something about it seemed more like chicken than tuna, which isn’t what you want from a can of fish. The pink color looked off, and the oil left an acrid aftertaste that lingered unpleasantly. When your canned tuna is this unremarkable, it won’t contribute anything meaningful to your recipes. Better options exist at similar price points that actually taste like something worth eating.
Good & Gather brings too much brine and mush
Target’s Good & Gather line usually delivers decent quality for store-brand products. Their canned tuna shows up with the Marine Stewardship Council certification on some varieties but not others, which creates confusion about which cans meet sustainability standards. The chunk light version lacks the MSC logo, while the albacore has it, and some varieties note pole and line catching methods. This inconsistency makes it hard to know what you’re actually getting.
Opening the can reveals tuna with a deep, briny character that tips over into being too salty. The texture leans toward mushy, though not quite as bad as the worst offenders. While some testers appreciated the meaty tuna taste, others found the mushiness and excessive salt made it hard to enjoy. The lack of consistency across product lines means you might get something decent one time and something disappointing the next. For a store brand, there are better options that deliver more reliable quality without the guessing game.
Nobody wants to waste money on tuna that tastes like a cleaning shack or has the texture of wet sandpaper. The brands listed here consistently disappoint in blind taste tests, leaving you with fish that’s mushy, metallic, or just plain bland. Next time you’re shopping, skip these options and reach for something that actually tastes good. Your sandwiches and casseroles will thank you for choosing tuna that doesn’t need to be buried under other ingredients to become edible.
