Dear Readers,
I present you with a curious case brought to my attention by Boynton Beach reader and tuna aficionado Al Stall:
Dear Editor:
I’m sure you are aware of the ever-shrinking tuna can. At one time you were able to get about 8 ounces of tuna in a can and now we’re down to 5 ounces.
But all is not what it seems … what you thought was a 5-ounce net can of tuna is in fact a deception of the worst kind.
Thought you might be interested in what a supposed 5-ounce can of tuna contains:
* The unopened can weighs 6.2 ounces
* With water drained, 4.9 ounces
The tuna was then removed.
* The empty can weighs 1.1 ounces
* Net weight of the tuna: 3.8 ounces
The can checked was a Chicken of the Sea Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water with a specified net weight of 5 ounces.
How does one specify a net of 5 ounces and end up with 3.8 ounces?
Al Stall

Mr. Stall e-mailed Chicken of the Sea with his findings. While he waited for a response, he wrote us to say he had “sacrificed another can of tuna to make sure that my first findings were correct and, yes, they were correct with exactly the same weights.”
That day, he received this written response from Chicken of the Sea’s consumer affairs department:
“Thank you for telling us about your recent experience…
“The net weight of the tuna contains the fish, liquid and all other ingredients shown on the label. The drained weight will always be less than the net contents indicate. Drained weight, however, is not a good measure of the proper amount of tuna because of the differences in bulk density of the varying pack styles and the amount of oil or water retained when drained…
“Filling the containers with tuna is an automatic operation. The filling machines used are carefully controlled and tested for accuracy. However, it is possible that a few cans may be released without the proper amount of tuna; sample cans are tested from each code batch prior to shipment. Occurrences of this nature are rare…”

Mr. Stall doesn’t buy the explanation:

“… The liquid is not an edible portion of the product … Is it correct to include that as the net weight of the product? I doubt if there are many users out there that use the oil or water that the tuna is packed in …
“It doesn’t seem to be an edible portion of the product so therefore why should it be considered part of the net weight? … Sorry to rant on this but it just seems grossly misleading.”

I give Mr. Stall a lot of credit for speaking his mind and for asking questions about the products he consumes. Such curiosity is not only healthy, it can be wonderfully contagious!
The best to you,
Liz