Tuna

[2sp_]

Random question...

Doing my Asda online shop. Buying Tuna for Mr P.

Out of Princes, John West or Skipjack, which is the best ethically? (Don't want dolphin chunks.)

[wolf63]

I don't know about how ethical it is but have you seen the cost?

My kitties love tuna and they get a tin sometimes - they won't eat cheap stuff so it is usually the John West that they eat. I hope that you love Mr P as much as I love my kitties.


W☺lf

[boxtops]

It should tell you on the labels....

[EcclesCake]

From memory John West got slated for their ethics. Check for pole and line on the label.

[gingejbee]

Princes and John West are brands (with similar ethics)....skipjack is a type of tuna.

[Buenchico]

See here:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/win-bin-our-2014-tuna-league-table-20140228

[2sp_]

I'm doing an online shop so it's really hard to see the label from the wee picture.

I'll go with the cheapest.

See how long my morals lasted there?

[EcclesCake]

From HFWs Fish Fight website

Smart shopping
A number of tuna products certified as sustainable by the respected Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) can already be found in UK supermarkets, and mindful consumers will certainly want to investigate. In general, the most sustainable tuna is pole-and-line skipjack from the Maldives, or albacore tuna from the Pacific. Checking that your tuna has been caught using ‘dolphin-friendly’ methods is also advisable.

[Buenchico]

Well, if your online shopping is with Sainsbury's, Tesco or Asda, go for their own brands. (See link above)

[2sp_]

That's a great link, Chris.

The third brand is Oriental and Pacific, not skipjack (thank you gingejbee!).

So all three are pretty crap. Great help Asda!

[2sp_]

Wait a minute, have just found their own brand which is slightly better.

Thanks everyone.

[boxtops]

wofy, my cats get the round flat tins of tuna cat food from Savers, it's a bit like taramasalata in consistency but they love it.

[wolf63]

boxtops - Tesco basic tuna in brine got sniffed and then the pair of them stomped off upstairs. I left it for them to eat later but I ended up binning it.


They get about a quarter of a tin each - when we get back home from Frankie's monthly trip to the V-E-T.

[EDDIE51]

Tuna is imported into the UK in plain unlabelled tins. The 'makers' just buy in bulk and put their own label on. So John West, Princes ,etc. and the own label brands are all from the same source.
Their are several different 'qualities' e.g. Flaked, steak, chunk, No drain , line caught but they all arrive in the country as plain tins and the brand labels are put on afterwards. Go with the cheapest one that is the quality you want.
Same thing applies to Corned Beef it is all imported in plain tins and the brand labels are put on here . It makes me laugh when I see people going for a ' Brand name' tin when the supermarket 'basic' one is from the same production plant bur half the price. The same labelling plant usually does the labels for several brands and just ships them out to each 'brand' to be sold on.

[EDDIE51]

^^ supermarket' Basic ' or 'Value' Tuna is the lowest quality ' flakes' which are the bits left over after the 'steak' and 'chunk' have been made. It is over 50% brine which is why the cat turns its nose up at it.

[2sp_]

Thank you for that Eddie. I have no idea about tuna, don't even like the stuff myself.

[wolf63]

Eddie - it is actually the brine that gets zapped up first. I think that is the bit that they really like. With normal cat food it is the jelly that is the favourite bit. 'Cat logic' is an oxymoron.