This Popular Canned Seafood Is Cheap, But Customers Say You're Better Off Leaving It On The Shelves

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Tinned fish is generally a much cheaper and more shelf-stable alternative to its fresh counterparts. And canned tuna is one of the most popular canned fish products in the U.S. There's no shortage of canned tuna brands out there, but perhaps the most famous of them all is StarKist. While it has a long line of canned tuna products, the StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water is the popular canned seafood that loyal customers reckon you're actually better off avoiding. 

As one Redditor shared, "Made a big batch of tuna salad and something about it is off. I used StarKist chunk light in water and [...] I'm really disappointed." Another Redditor claimed that the chunk light "tasted like raw fish," elaborating, "And I mean highly fishy." Other customers noted a decline in quality from the days of old, as one Reddit user lamented that the brand "just isn't the same as it once was." This item also came in last in Tasting Table's ranking of 21 StarKist tuna varieties from worst to best.

Even more disconcerting, many customers have found bones in a can of StarKist tuna, posting pictures to online forums as proof. One Redditor shared a picture of what responders speculated was a tuna vertebra, which was hardly appetizing. Another customer, over on Facebook, found a smaller, thinner bone. A fellow Facebooker similarly recalled, "I almost choked on [a bone] and contacted the company and [...] they sent me a coupon for 2 cans of free tuna." While this speaks highly of StarKist's customer service, it's still a major hazard that appears to happen often with cans of tuna.

While StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water is a cheap canned seafood product you should avoid buying at all costs, there are plenty of delicious alternatives that won't hurt your wallet. In fact, you can even stick with the StarKist brand if you like. We ranked the StarKist E.V.O.O. Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon Dill in Extra Virgin Olive Oil as our favorite product overall. It would be a great addition to a classic tuna niçoise salad. In fact, our favorite StarKist products come seasoned with unique flavors that will contribute to a wide diversity of tuna recipes. For example, the Tuna Creations Bold Thai Chili Pouch from StarKist would be a major upgrade for this zippy tuna pasta salad recipe. 

You can also use another one of our favorite StarKist products, the Tuna Creations Bold Hot Buffalo Pouch, in a Buffalo tuna dip. Of course, if you're willing to shell out a little more for your tinned tuna, the best brand of canned tuna, according to our ranking, is Scout, a chef-driven company that really develops a depth of flavor to enhance the taste of the tuna along with nuanced smoky and savory notes. Most of the best canned tuna brands notably utilize yellowfin packed in olive oil. But if you specifically want a can of Albacore tuna to replace StarKist's chunk light, try the Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna, which lives up to its name; the brand ensures that its tuna contains the lowest levels of mercury possible.