What is the difference between supermarket and Vital Choice custom canned troll-caught Albacore?
We purchase young, troll-caught Albacore from small-boat troll fishermen familiar to us, and we know exactly how and where the fish are caught and processed. Mercury accumulates in tuna as they get bigger and older, so we select only the smallest troll-caught fish to ensure optimal purity. Not only does hook-and-line troll harvest attract the “cleaner” surface-dwelling juvenile fish, but it is also more sustainable than alternative methods. In contrast, the Tuna sold by supermarket brands is generally “long-lined.” This harvest method involves deploying a long submerged line with baited hooks, which tend to attract the larger, older fish having higher mercury levels. Long-lining is also less selective than trolling and results in greater by-catch of non targeted species. Most canned Albacore found in supermarkets comes from very large canneries using assembly-line techniques to process huge quantities. Albacore Tuna sold by the major brands generally comes from larger, leaner Albacore
