# Net weight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604 "2009-05-25T20:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/1 "2009-05-25T20:53:28Z")
I drained the water out of a 12 oz. tin of Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna and weighed the fish. 6-1/2 ounces. So I’d paid over a dollar for the water that went down the drain. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/2 "2009-05-25T20:56:54Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Net weight . . . fish . . . I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/3 "2009-05-25T21:32:45Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > I see what you did there. That’s gross. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/4 "2009-05-25T23:18:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I drained the water out of a 12 oz. tin of Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna and weighed the fish. 6-1/2 ounces. So I’d paid over a dollar for the water that went down the drain. The standard industry reply for things like this is simple: “We take into account the weight of the water when we set the price. Therefore the price reflects only the amount of the tuna, not the added water. If we could package the tuna without the water, the cost would be the same.” Not whether this is true or not I don’t know, but everytime you come across something like this, whether it’s tuna or whatever, that’s the standard response. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/5 "2009-05-26T18:05:25Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > The standard industry reply for things like this is simple: “We take into account the weight of the water when we set the price. Therefore the price reflects only the amount of the tuna, not the added water. If we could package the tuna without the water, the cost would be the same.” > > Not whether this is true or not I don’t know, but everytime you come across something like this, whether it’s tuna or whatever, that’s the standard response. Sounds fishy ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/6 "2009-05-26T19:04:29Z")
No…no…no. You don’t pour the tuna water down the drain. You pour it into a shallow dish for your kitty. Kitties love tuna water. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/7 "2009-05-26T20:18:59Z")
I haven’t got a kitty. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/8 "2009-05-26T21:30:10Z")
And is it just my imagination, or is there more water in there than there used to be? ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/9 "2009-05-26T22:02:04Z")
> [@Early\_Out](#): > > And is it just my imagination, or is there more water in there than there used to be? The tuna hasn’t gotten smaller, you’ve just grown up! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/10 "2009-05-27T02:51:32Z")
In Soviet Union, fish drains YOU! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/11 "2009-05-27T06:15:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I haven’t got a kitty. ☹ It’s nearly kitten season, check your local [kitten trees](http://cuteoverload.com/2009/05/26/fluffiest-mulch-evar/#comments) for early-ripening kittens. Or, if you prefer, you can check out the local shelter for kittens and cats that have already been harvested and are ready to move in with you. > [@Early\_Out](#): > > And is it just my imagination, or is there more water in there than there used to be? DEFINITELY more water, and more dark flesh, too, in the chunk light tuna. The chunk light tuna seems to have more flakes than chunks. Of course, my cats are delighted to consume the tuna juice. I’m thinking of switching to albacore, which I prefer, because the price difference doesn’t seem to be as great as it used to be. On a semi-related note, it seems that canned deviled ham has a lot of TVP in it, much more than I remember from years past. I have decided that I will make my own ham spread, rather than put up with this sort of nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/12 "2009-05-27T19:47:11Z")
Tuna in oil. The only way to go. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/13 "2009-05-27T20:26:32Z")
I quit buying canned tuna, watching for sales on tuna steaks instead. It may cost more, but I’m worth it, dammit! Plus it’s lots better! YUM! ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/14 "2009-05-27T21:06:47Z")
Try costco’s Kirkland brand of tuna. You get bigger containers, with more tuna in them, for cheaper. And the quality of the meat is better, too. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/15 "2009-05-27T21:38:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I drained the water out of a 12 oz. tin of Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna and weighed the fish. 6-1/2 ounces. So I’d paid over a dollar for the water that went down the drain. What about the scales? There’s a pun there if you look hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/16 "2009-05-27T22:23:40Z")
The pouches don’t have any water and are, imo, equal to or better than tuna canned in water. Ditto on fresh tuna steaks, though. I can barely choke down canned tuna anymore, unless Subway made into salad and assembled it into a sandwich with giardinieria. I get really nice ones for ~$10/lb at my local [Asian megamart](http://www.yelp.com/biz/super-h-mart-niles). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/17 "2009-05-27T22:35:07Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Tuna in oil. The only way to go. So you are the one, here is a blindfold, cigarette and you we’ll deduct 2 bucks for the cost of the bullet. My mind always blocks out the slimy abomination that is oil based tuna and while I am carefully selecting for chunk-coarsity and price I never notice that it is the in oil crap. And nobody seems to want it, why is it there? ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/18 "2009-05-28T01:21:24Z")
Line me up next to **Philster**. I’m a tuna in oil person myself. I’ll gladly be first against the wall, or second, as the case may be. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/19 "2009-05-28T01:33:21Z")
> [@Early\_Out](#): > > And is it just my imagination, or is there more water in there than there used to be? Yes, there is. When they cut the contents from 7 ounces to 6.5 ounces, they didn’t order new cans – they just used the ones they had, and the machinery they had for filling them – they just added more water. My mom tells me that she remembers when the standard can was 8 ounces of tuna, and the cans were about the same size back then, too. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604/20 "2009-05-28T01:54:16Z")
Y’all are still buying tuna in cans? I stopped doing that once I had enough to make a goodly supply of [English muffins](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/english-muffins-recipe/index.html). The pouches have, IMHO, much better flavor. (At least at the quality level I can afford.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/net-weight/497604.md?page=2)