What is the difference between "chunk light" and "albacore" tuna?

When I shop for groceries I like to get good quality for as cheap as I can. I realize that with most products, you'll end up paying a few cents more for a fancy label when you can get stuff just as good with a generic label. Those few cents per item really add up!

Anyway, tonight, Cam and I went shopping together. Everything was a breeze until we got to the tuna. Since I don't buy it that often, its been a while since I've looked at the price. I was amazed to find that the albacore was almost a dollar more per can than the chunk light. I looked for some generic labels and found that the generic albacore was still more expensive than the name brand chunk light.

My immediate reaction was that the albacore was better quality. I compared labels and they seemed pretty similar. The albacore had a few more grams of protein and a few less calories, but not enough for me to justify spending so much more for it. So we opted for the chunk light and I left the store feeling a little defeated. Like I somehow compromised my health by getting the cheaper stuff.

Once I got home, I couldn't resist finding some little tidbit of information that would make me feel better about my purchase. Sure enough, immediately I found that because albacore is caught and canned at an older age, its mercury content is over double of the amount found in the fish used in the chunk light variety.

What does that all mean? The warning for mercury is mostly directed at pregnant women and children, but it can affect anyone. Just look at Jeremy Piven from "Entourage." He got mercury poisoning from eating too much sushi. He claims to have suffered through extreme exhaustion from the ordeal. Its also known to cause brain function impairment and various auto-immune issues.

I don't know about sushi, but as far as the canned stuff goes, the experts say its safe to eat one can of albacore every 10 days while you can eat one can of chunk light every 4 days. This is good news to me since I do like the occasional tuna sandwich and tomato soup combo. Discovering this information made me feel better about the chunk light I got. I'm also reminded, yet again, that just because something costs more, doesn't necessarily mean its better.