Plenty of consumers have turned their attention toward organic tuna farming. They want to make sure that the tuna they consume is as healthy as possible, and one of the ways to do that is to make sure it comes from organic farms.
Tuna Farms
Tuna farms are located throughout the world. Tuna is a valuable commodity in many areas, especially in areas of the world where sushi is popular. Many organic tuna farms catch the fish within the ocean and then confine it to the "farm" in order to grow it to maximum size before being sold.
Organic tuna farms are far outnumbered by non-organic tuna farms, but as the popularity of organic food products increases among consumers there may be a sharp increase in organic tuna farming around the world.
Why Organic?
Tuna has experienced a lot of press lately, with some experts suggesting that tuna be avoided by pregnant women and young children because of the mercury content. The fact remains, however, that tuna is generally inexpensive and packs a lot of protein into a single serving. Some consumers turn to organic tuna in an effort to lessen their chances of exposure to toxins such as mercury.
Organic Tuna Farming Difficulties
Organic tuna farmers face unique difficulties with regard to raising fish without exposure to certain toxins. Even tuna caught in the ocean and sold without any processing whatsoever may have been exposed to pollutants and toxins, and therefore has the potential to pass these toxins on to the people eating the tuna.
For this reason, truly organic tuna cannot have swum free in the ocean because there is simply no way to certify it as organic.
All organic foods are subject to rigorous testing as well as documentation as to what the food has been exposed to. Tuna originating from the wild cannot meet these rigid documentation requirements.
Farmed Tuna versus Wild Tuna
You aren't going to find tuna caught in the wild being labeled as organic. There is simply no way to authenticate what the tuna has eaten and been exposed to during its time swimming free. For this reason, the only way to make sure that the tuna you eat is actually organic is to purchase it from canneries involved with organic tuna farming.
This principal can confuse consumers, because they may feel as though tuna caught swimming free in the ocean must be healthier since it comes from nature. The truth of the matter is that even if tuna isn't exposed to anything toxic while swimming free in the ocean (although, in all likelihood, it may be), it may be exposed a wide variety of toxins and other inorganic materials.
Tuna suppliers cannot make the claim that the tuna they sell is completely free of certain things unless the tuna is raised on a farm, in a controlled environment, with everything closely monitored.
Still, many consumers are uncomfortable with organic tuna farming because they want their fish to come directly from the sea. Regardless of the possibility of exposure to various toxins, some people feel the fish is fresher and more natural if it is caught in its natural habitat.
Taste
Supporters of organic foods often make the claim that organic food is superior in taste to other foods, mostly because of the lack of additional antibiotics and preservatives. The same theory has not generally been true for organically farmed tuna. For some breeds of tuna, organic farms that are indoors rely on relatively new technology in order to sustain the fish and this may not yield the largest - or tastiest - product.
Organic tuna farmers are constantly trying new methods in order to deliver the best tuna possible to consumers, and many claim that new breakthroughs will make it possible.
Buy Organic Tuna
Although many grocery stores are now featuring impressive health food sections that may offer organic tuna, health food stores are a great place to shop for organic tuna, as well as shopping online.
