Shelf Life of Canned Tuna
@lookatdesktop (27133)
Dallas, Texas
April 10, 2016 12:17pm CST
I read just now that canned tuna by Starkist, has an approximate shelf life of up to 3 years.
The thing is, I have had some trouble finding out if canned tuna lasts as long or longer than tuna that comes in a pouch.
There are advantages to pouched foods because they take up less storage space, but on the other side of the coin, canned tuna is more protective of the tuna inside and the can is recyclable.
Read this article from Thriftyfun dot com for more:
I would likely go with the canned because it is more cost effective for me.
I have a couple of unopened pouches of tuna and albacore. I don't think they have expiration dates on them, so how long can go by before it's too late to open and use them?
7 people like this
10 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
10 Apr 16
I would too canned it is for me.
If I could buy fresh I would..guess I better start walking up to the North Shore for that.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27133)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Apr 16
I went to a SAMs club and bought one of those huge cans of tuna figuring I could use it all to make a very large tuna salad for sandwiches but turns out once I opened up that can the shelf life of that tuna dropped way down to about a few weeks in the refrigerator.
I think smaller cans, or single use cans, medium or small, are best to avoid waste.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
10 Apr 16
@lookatdesktop Indeed..they are so stingy with tuna in the cans I tell you..fed up of it myself. I want to just buy a big fat chunk of it you know.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27133)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Apr 16
@TiarasOceanView If so be sure to cook it all. Fillet of Tuna is very good but very expensive, on average it costs $8.48 for 16 ounces for Tuna Steaks at Walmart:
Buy Premium Ahi Tuna Steaks, 16 oz at Walmart.com
1 person likes this
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
12 Apr 16
No answer for you. I dislike pouches. Pouches are plastic. Pouches make it difficult to tell how much you are getting. They are difficult to stack. Producers did not switch to these for your or my benefit, now did they?
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27133)
• Dallas, Texas
13 Apr 16
There could in fact be lots of air inside a pouch, but on the other hand water can be added to the can. Plastic on the other hand adds to the ocean floor lining and I agree that they don't make pouches for anyone's benefit but their bottom line, saving money on materials, selling it for more to get more profit and no interest in making it any easier for the consumer to open. I think there have to be some manufacturers out there who actually do want to make a product and package it in a way that benefits consumers but off hand I don't know the names of any.
@lookatdesktop (27133)
• Dallas, Texas
13 Apr 16
@KuznVinny , I like it in oil myself. I am not familiar with the species of tuna I have eaten but still you point out a good fact as far as the mercury content is concerned and it is of concern to me and many others as it is a health risk in large enough doses. Do you like Skipjack tuna?
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
13 Apr 16
@lookatdesktop I'm not a fan of water tuna. I much prefer the fresher taste and firmer texture of oil-based tuna. In particular, yellowfin, since it is purported to contain less mercury.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37336)
• Toccoa, Georgia
12 Apr 16
I never buy tuna fish in a pouch, I always buy it in a can (because the store brand is so much cheaper).
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
10 Apr 16
I wonder if it is like that with all the brands
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27133)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Apr 16
It is not known to me at the moment. If I spend more time researching it I will try to remember to add more information on this discussion later in the near future. Thank you for your comment or rather inquiry.
I would like to provide a link to a good article about BPA - free canned foods:
The difference in these is, not something the average person is aware of.
Photo courtesy Eden Organic.Here's a startling, almost amazing fact. Eden Organic has been canning beans since 1999 in BPA (bisphenol-A) free cans. For a decade. Concerns about BPA keep mounting - in January the FDA reversed its 2008 stance to say it
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Apr 16
Another consideration is pouch tuna tends to cost more than canned.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
10 Apr 16
It's better to get it in small portions if you want it every now and then.
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
10 Apr 16
I would go with the pouches for convenience. Storage is a big issue for me. And I doubt that we would keep them longer than a week anyway.
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
10 Apr 16
I usually don't have to worry about expiration dates on foods. Since it is just K and I now, we only buy what we'll use up in a week. If we do come across something in fridge or cabinet whose expiration date we're not sure of, we use the old determination method of "When In Doubt, Throw It Out."
