# Tunafish **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327 "2003-08-19T23:58:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/1 "2003-08-19T23:58:47Z")
So, we’ve had a thread (long ago) about eating sushi and the risks of getting some kind of parasites from it. Now I’d like to know what kind of risk I’m taking when I munch down on a tunafish sandwich. Does tuna carry any kind of parasites or bacteria that I need to worry about? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/2 "2003-08-20T00:00:45Z")
Sushi is raw, tuna is cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/3 "2003-08-20T00:03:04Z")
The tuna I get out of the can has been cooked? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/4 "2003-08-20T00:11:52Z")
yep…cooked in the can. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/5 "2003-08-20T00:16:06Z")
Did you think you were eating raw tuna fish all this time? If so, would you believe that it _grows_ in the can, too? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/6 "2003-08-20T01:04:33Z")
Just don’t eat the canned corned beef. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/7 "2003-08-20T01:45:54Z")
And why do we call it “tunafish”? We all know tuna is a fish. It seems redundant. We don’t call salmon “salmonfish”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/8 "2003-08-20T02:08:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaveRaver \* > \*\*And why do we call it “tunafish”? We all know tuna is a fish. It seems redundant. We don’t call salmon “salmonfish”. \*\* Hmm…mine says “Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water”. Are you sure you’re not eating catfood? ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/9 "2003-08-20T02:18:47Z")
The real threat form tuna is mercury. There’ve been a bunch o’ reports lately (all linked to the same study as far as I can tell) saying that the mercury is white albacore tuna is far higher than originally thought. Evidently, “light chunk” tuna is slightly better. It’s kinda scary; the report states that a 132-lb woman needs only eat two cans a week to exceed the EPA’s recommended limit by FOUR times and I must eat it at least five times a week… [good article](http://www.ewire.com/wires/8F9943C6-EDEA-49DC-B09D9C2408C2AEF4.htm) [mercury study](http://www.mercurypolicy.org) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunafish/196327/10 "2003-08-20T03:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaveRaver \* > \*\*And why do we call it “tunafish”? We all know tuna is a fish. It seems redundant. We don’t call salmon “salmonfish”. \*\* Well, you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.