Important Disclaimer: Although there are organizations like the MSC (marine stewardship council) that suggest certain seafood choices are sustainable with an abundant supply, I don’t believe ANY seafood or meat can be completely sustainable, because there are just too many people eating it! Restraint is always needed; United States caught tuna should not be taken for granted and shouldn’t be over-consumed even though it’s a much healthier choice than imported tuna.
I was contacted by West Coast Seafood to try their albacore tuna in pouches. Since I love USA-caught tuna, I happily agreed. I received two 6 oz pouches of tuna: “no salt” and “garlic & pesto” flavors.
True Blue Bay albacore tuna is packed in pouches, not cans, which is more environmentally-friendly, since it’s lighter to ship. Their tuna is cooked once, which they say retains 6x the omega 3 fatty acids, unlike canned which has to be heated/cooked twice.
It’s also much lower in mercury than the big commercial brands (Starkist, Chicken of the Sea, etc) because the fish are smaller when caught. And of course the tuna is caught in the US, not Asia, with hook & line, which is a more environmentally friendly method.
The tuna is packed in the US, unlike Wild Planet which unfortunately packs its US-caught tuna in Vietnam, stating there is no US sardine or tuna cannery capable of processing their larger volume. :(
Yes, Wild Planet is my usual brand of tuna, and yes, I do worry sometimes about the quality-control regarding packing outside the US. I’m concerned about the possibility of their product being altered or tainted somehow. But it’s still heads & tails above any grocery brand of tuna.
For more information about the problems with big commercial grocery tuna brands, check my prior post. In the post, I also include reviews for American Tuna & Wild Planet.
True Blue Bay Albacore Weight
As I said above, I received two different flavors of tuna from them. We consumed the “no salt” flavor first.
I weighed the liquid (natural juices) in the pouch, and it weighed 1.25 oz, while the full package contents weighed in at 5.85, just slightly under the 6 oz claimed on the package.
In my prior tuna reviews, both American Tuna and Wild Planet cans contained 1 oz natural juices and American contained 5 of solid tuna (6 oz can), and Wild Planet contained 4 oz (smaller 5 oz can.) I’ve since weighed the Wild Planet 5 oz can, and the liquid weighed under 1 oz this time, at approximately .65oz. The total weight of both liquid and fish was over the 5 oz as well at about 5.5oz.
Note: Don’t discard the natural juices from these premier brands, they contribute to the tuna’s full flavor.
True Blue Bay Tuna Taste Review
I tasted the tuna, and I’m sorry to say that it was a bit bland. Yes, it is unsalted, but that doesn’t automatically mean it is flavorless. The true flavor of the tuna should shine whether on it’s own or mixed with other ingredients. Unfortunately, the True Blue Bay tuna tasted a little boring and “washed out.”
I then mixed the tuna with avocado, lemon juice & a little Earth Balance “mindful mayo” and made yummy sandwiches for our lunch. There was enough for sandwiches the following day as well.
In general, we both enjoyed the tuna. Even though it was a little bland, it is so much tastier than commercial supermarket brands, it’s fresher and more flavorful, just like “real” tuna should taste.
A few days ago, I opened the 2nd pouch, garlic pesto, and only added Earth Balance mayo. I made tuna & spinach sandwiches for lunch, with a side of fruit. Yummy. I’ve never tried flavored canned seafood, so it was a first for me. It tasted good, but I prefer a pure no-salt version. That way I can add my own flavorings.
There was enough tuna for one more sandwich for lunch the following day.
So, would I purchase the True Blue Bay tuna again? As it is now, I have to admit probably not. If they sold at Whole Foods grocery (or another local outlet) then yes, I would probably consider it again.
My usual brand of Wild Planet can be found at Whole Foods, as well as through Amazon’s Subscribe & Save at less than $3 per can.
I have bought American Tuna a couple of times at Whole Foods, and it is a good tuna as well, but at $5 per can, it’s a budget buster.
True Blue Bay tuna is offered as low as $5 a can (inc/shipping) when purchased in as an “unlabeled” 24 pack from their web site, but it’s a big commitment to plunk down over $100 to purchase such a large quantity all at once. Again, I would consider them if they were available in a store in my local area.
So, bottom line, the True Blue Bay tuna is a little bland, but still delicious for sandwiches, similar to other US-caught canned brands, but the expense would probably deter me from purchasing again unless I could find it locally. It’s too bad, because they are a great company, and I’d love to support them, but after shipping costs, it would make more sense to purchase locally caught fresh tuna instead.
Important Disclaimer: Although there are organizations like the MSC (marine stewardship council) that suggest certain seafood choices are sustainable with an abundant supply, I don’t believe ANY seafood or meat can be completely sustainable, because there are just too many people eating it! Restraint is always needed; United States caught tuna should not be taken for granted and shouldn’t be over-consumed even though it’s a much healthier choice than imported tuna.
