Albacore, also called white tuna, usually contains more mercury than canned light tuna. FDA data put canned albacore at roughly 0.35 parts per million of mercury on average, compared with about 0.13 ppm for canned light tuna. That makes the difference meaningful for people who eat tuna often, even though both products can still contribute protein and useful nutrients to a balanced diet.
The label matters because “tuna” is not one fish. Albacore is a larger, longer-lived species, while canned light tuna commonly includes skipjack and may contain other smaller tuna species. Those biological differences help explain why two cans that look nutritionally similar can sit in different mercury categories.
Why albacore tends to contain more mercury
Mercury occurs in the environment from natural and human sources. In aquatic systems, some of it becomes methylmercury, which builds up in fish tissue. Small organisms take it in, larger fish eat those organisms, and predators accumulate more over time. Size, age and position in the food chain therefore matter.
Albacore generally grows larger and lives longer than skipjack, the species most closely associated with canned light tuna. More time feeding in the ocean means more opportunity for methylmercury to accumulate. The pattern is strong enough that FDA and EPA do not place the two products in the same advice category for people who are or may become pregnant, people who are breastfeeding, and children.
Mercury is in the flesh itself. Draining the can, rinsing the fish or choosing water instead of oil does not meaningfully remove it. The useful variables are the species, how frequently you eat it and what other fish you eat across the week.
Albacore vs light tuna in the FDA data
| Tuna type | Average mercury | FDA/EPA category | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned light tuna, including skipjack | About 0.13 ppm | Best Choice | Lower-mercury option for more frequent use |
| Canned albacore/white tuna | About 0.35 ppm | Good Choice | Higher mercury, so frequency is more limited |
The FDA’s consumer Q&A summarizes the difference even more plainly: albacore typically contains about three times as much mercury as canned light tuna. Its advice for the groups covered by the fish chart allows two to three weekly servings from the Best Choices list, but only one weekly serving from the Good Choices list, with no other fish that week.
Those categories are designed for mercury exposure, not as a ranking of overall food quality. Albacore may be preferred for its firmer texture and mild flavor. Canned light tuna can be less expensive and lower in mercury. Either can also vary substantially in sodium and added oil, so the nutrition panel answers different questions than the species name.
Who should pay the most attention
Mercury guidance is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding and for children because the developing nervous system is more sensitive to methylmercury. FDA and EPA specifically built their fish chart for these groups. Adults outside those groups can also use the chart to diversify seafood and reduce repeated exposure to higher-mercury fish.
It is also worth distinguishing albacore from other tuna species. Bigeye tuna sits in the FDA/EPA “Choices to Avoid” category because its mercury level is much higher. Yellowfin is a “Good Choice.” Canned light tuna is not guaranteed to be skipjack only, so checking the species on the package can provide more detail when the manufacturer lists it.
Local fish advisories matter for recreationally caught tuna or other fish. Commercial canned products are covered by broader monitoring, whereas fish caught by family or friends may have location-specific advice.
How to make tuna a lower-mercury habit
If tuna is an occasional lunch, there is little reason to turn one can into a complicated calculation. If it is a staple several times a week, favoring canned light tuna more often is an easy way to lower mercury exposure. Rotating in salmon, sardines, shrimp, pollock, tilapia and other lower-mercury seafood adds variety as well.
Keep the comparison focused: water versus oil changes calories and fat; sodium varies by brand; draining changes the amount of packing liquid you eat. None of those choices transforms a higher-mercury species into a lower-mercury one. Species and serving frequency remain the central mercury questions.
So, for the question on the label, the answer is clear: albacore/white tuna usually has more mercury than canned light tuna. Use that difference alongside official serving advice, especially when choosing seafood for pregnancy, breastfeeding or children.
Sources
- Questions & Answers from the FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish — Explains why canned light tuna and albacore are in different mercury categories.
- Technical Information on Development of FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish — Provides average mercury concentrations for commercial fish, including tuna types.
- Advice about Eating Fish — Current FDA/EPA fish advice and serving categories for pregnancy, breastfeeding and children.