My Favorite Canned Tuna Brand's New Product is Better Than Trader Joe's

Costco is my go-to store for stocking up on canned tuna, but I don't grab the store's famed Kirkland brand. I've always reached for those eye-catching navy blue and yellow-labeled Safe Catch cans.

All Safe Catch's fish is tested for mercury, and the fish that makes it into the can is guaranteed to contain less than the FDA's mercury limit. Safe Catch's albacore contains two-and-a-half times less and its "elite" wild tuna an impressive 10 times less.

The brand also sources its fish sustainably, which is just as much a selling point for me as their mercury claims, if not more. What I like most about Safe Catch tuna is that it tastes great, has the perfect balance of salt, and has a pleasantly firm texture (my cats are fans too—I pour off the tuna water into little bowls for them as a treat). If it doesn't taste great, what's the point?

Tasting Safe Catch's Smoked Trout

So I was excited to learn that the brand is launching its latest product, canned smoked trout. The trout comes in two flavors: plain and packed in water, and with chili in sunflower oil.

I love adding smoked trout to my big, kitchen-sink lunch salads and atop avocado toast for a protein boost, and it makes an occasional appearance on the fancy-ish snack board dinners my husband and I resort to when neither of us has the energy to cook dinner.

I've always fallen back on Trader Joe's smoked trout because it's reliably good, and I have to swing by the store anyway for my favorite snacks. That said, I'm always game to try a new product and shake up my grocery routine.

The Verdict

I'm honestly a bit shocked to report that Safe Catch's smoked trout will be replacing my beloved Trader Joe's tins, and here's why.

I opened one tin each of the new Safe Catch trout (plain and with chili) alongside a tin of the TJ's version for a fair comparison. At a glance, the Safe Catch trout tins contained larger intact pieces. In fact, the trout with chili contained a single large piece of trout fillet. The Trader Joe's tin didn't look starkly different, but it certainly had smaller pieces of trout.

This in itself wouldn't make or break my opinion, as I break up the trout for most applications, but those larger pieces of fish are nice for a snack board. I do also think the larger pieces of fish show that care was taken in the canning process, as the fish is thin and delicate.

Where the two brands really diverged, though, was the flavor and texture. Safe Catch's trout was tender, perfectly seasoned, and mild. The Trader Joe's trout was much firmer. I'd never noticed it before, but tasted side by side with the Safe Catch trout the TJ's version almost seemed dry in comparison.

The TJ's trout was also considerably saltier. As long as a product is seasoned well, I'm a fan of lower salt whenever possible. It allows me to season my food to my own taste.

Some people vastly prefer oil-packed fish, so if that's a deal-breaker for you, stick with the Trader Joe's trout. I can go either way depending on the quality of the product, but I prefer water-packed fish for salads, as using oil-packed can lead to greasiness.

BUY IT: Safe Catch Trout Fillets