Which US Tuna Brand Is Most American? What Did You Think?

Which US Tuna Brand Is Most American? What Did You Think?

Atuna.com
13 February 2014

StarKist stole the show in our latest atuna.com homepage poll, with 55 percent of you seeing it as the most American tuna company. The firm, along with Tri Marine has been in clashes will Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea over the Agriculture Department’s strict Buy American standards for where tuna used for US school lunches is cleaned, canned and shipped from.

Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea, gaining 25 percent and 5 percent of the votes respectively lose under the rules, judged the atuna.com readers.  Both companies have facilities that process tuna in the United States, but their product is first loined overseas. Therefore, under USDA standards, their tuna cannot be served in schools as part of the “Buy American” program.

StarKist, on the other hand, has a major operation in the US territory of American Samoa, and Tri Marine is building up a new facility in the territory as well. But while the company states that its tuna is bought from only US boats, these vessels are often Korean or Taiwanese managed and commonly only have one US citizen as crew member.

A significant 15 percent of you thought that none of the US Big Three tuna brands were the most American. Last month atuna.com focused on the US brand “American Tuna”, a pole-and–line fishing and processing company of canned albacore tuna with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. All parts of production take place on US soil.

Now we’ve changed our online poll again because we really want your say on the hottest topics in the tuna industry. This time, we’re asking you: “Will more canned tuna consumers switch to microwaveable tuna steaks?”

This follows recent reports of the success of French tuna canner’s brand, Petit Navire with its innovative line of tuna steak products that can be heated in the microwave. The brand has announced sales of 1.5 million of the pouched products, generating around USD 4.6 million.

To vote and have your say on our latest homepage tuna poll go to atuna.com.