Tuna Products

Tuna is available in a wide variety of products. We have summed up the major ones for you:

	Frozen Whole Round Tuna – Raw Material For the canned tuna processing industry, tuna is usually frozen whole round on board of the fishing vessel, immediately after catching, without any change to its entire natural form – commonly frozen at minus 18 Celsius. For restaurant businesses, whole round high value tuna is increasingly frozen at ultra low temperatures (minus 40 to minus 60 Celsius) to maintain the highest quality. In fresh form the whole tuna is kept chilled in ice at zero degree Celsius. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Tongol, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Fresh & Frozen Gilled – Gutted – Head off In order to maintain the highest quality, prevent spoilage and reduce space and weight, the head or just the gills of the tuna can be removed. Also fish can be handled with the head still on, but just the gills and the guts removed. This process takes place on board just prior to chilling or freezing. Tuna is chilled at zero, or frozen at minus 18, minus 40 or 60 Celsius. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Tongol, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Fresh & Frozen Raw Loins Raw tuna meat boneless and skinless, which has been cut by whole loins, been either cleaned in fresh or frozen state, then packed in foil and distributed in fresh or frozen form to the restaurant sector. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Fresh & Frozen Raw Tuna Cuts – various styles Raw, skinless and boneless tuna meat can be cut in various forms, such as thin sliced (carpaccio), steaks, or saku blocks for distribution to the restaurant sector, distributed either in fresh or frozen form. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Frozen Pre-cooked Loins Cooked, cleaned – with all skin, bones and black meat removed – creating individual fillets or loins, which are then frozen at minus 18 Celsius with a blast or contact freezer. Produced especially as main component for tuna canneries which have outsourced the cleaning of tuna to other facilities. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye

	Katsuobushi Japanese style filleted, dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna meat – which is used as main ingredient for Japanese soups and as flavoring. Species used:Skipjack

	Canned Tuna After first being cooked, and having skin, bones, black meat and blood veins removed, the tuna meat is inserted in a metal or aluminum can. Water, oil or sauce is usually added. After closing, the can is sterilized at 121 degrees Celsius, giving it a shelf life of at least 3 years. Available in a wide variety of can shapes, sizes , weight and pack styles such as solid or steak (fillets), chunks, flakes and shredded. For consumer, foodservice or food processing market. Species used: Skipjack, Tongol, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye

	Pouched Tuna After first being cooked, and having skin, bones, black meat and blood veins removed, smaller broken chunks of tuna meat are mechanically or manually inserted in an alu-coated bag, a minimum amount of brine or oil is added, vacuum sealed and then sterilized in a back pressure retort. For consumer, foodservice or food processing market. Species used: Skipjack, Tongol, Yellowfin, Albacore

	Frozen Seared Tuna (Tataki) Known as Tataki in Japan, boneless and skinless meat is seared briefly seared and marinated, then frozen for distribution to the retail and restaurant sector. Species used: Skipjack, Yellowfin

	Tuna Meal Processed from tuna offal, which is cooked, and dried. Used in livestock and aquaculture feed. Species used: Skipjack, Tongol, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Tuna Oil Processed from tuna offal, which is pressed and the crude is then refined. Has a high DHA concentration. Used in livestock feed but also for human consumption. Highest quality is produced from tuna heads. Species used: Skipjack, Tongol, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Jarred Tuna Spanish and Italian style pack of finely cut individual fillets of tuna meat, placed manually in a vertical position within a glass jar, sterilized and olive oil added. Most commonly used in the consumer and restaurant sector. Species used:Skipjack, Yellowfin, Albacore, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Tuna Roe The eggs of large tuna, which are harvested from frozen or fresh fish, and packed separately for distribution to the processing sector in a variety of forms. Species used:Yellowfin, Big-eye, Bluefin

	Bottarga Most commonly processed in Italy and also Spain, the bags of eggs ( roe) of large female tuna are massaged to eliminate air pockets, then dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks. This results in a dry hard slab of tuna roe, still in its natural casing. In Italy used grated to be added to cooked pasta together with olive oil. Species used: Bluefin, Yellowfin, Big-eye

	Mojama Spanish style loins of tuna are cured in salt for 2 days, after washing off the salt the meat is laid out to dry in the sunshine and wind of southern Spain for about 2 to 3 weeks. Consumption similar to that of high quality cured ham. Packed for the restaurant and consumer sector. Species used:Bluefin, Yellowfin