Is Tuna The Answer To The Global Obesity Crisis?

Global obesity has reached “crisis point” according to a major study recently published, with some of the highest rates of overweight people existing in a number of the world’s largest tuna markets. In some of these major markets, tuna consumption has declined notably in recent years, while both brands and governments work to get healthy seafood increasingly into people’s diets.

But it’s not only the nations that are big tuna importers that are struck with a severe obesity problem, with the highest rates of overweight people actually existing in the Oceania region, according to the study. Obesity prevails throughout the male and female population of Pacific countries, despite the area being home to the largest tuna fishery in the world.

Most of the tuna catch from Pacific island nations however is destined for exports to foreign markets like the EU and US, with only small volumes heading back as end market products to Oceanic states. At the same time, fattier meat proteins, like pork are consumed in high volumes in Pacific-based countries.

The major study, led by scientists from Imperial College London compared the body mass index (BMI) of almost 20 million adult men and women from 1975 to 2014, and found that obesity in men has tripled, and doubled in women over the years.

At the other end of the chain, in the US, more obese people were found to reside in this nation than almost any other, while it’s also the largest single nation canned tuna market in the world. Despite over 95,000 tons of imported canned tuna having entered the US marketplace in 2015, it seems that this healthy and nutritious protein has not yet managed to become the answer to this country’s particularly concerning obesity rate.

However, there is attention being given to the problem, and tuna brands and the government are trying to drive at least some reverse.

But, while leading US canned tuna brands display a particular focus on marketing the convenience and ease of consuming tuna within daily meals, to increase its popularity, another area where some believe attention needs to be given is the poor US perception of the product, based on its declining quality.

More obese adults now live in the US and China than in any other country, the report reveals, while women in the UK, another major canned tuna market, have the third highest BMI in Europe.

According to Scientific Magazine Mosaic, this inability to curb the extraordinary prevalence of obesity costs the United States more than USD 147 billion in healthcare, as well as USD 4.3 billion in job absenteeism, and yet more in lost productivity. Over two thirds of American adults are overweight or obese.

While obesity in the US grows, tuna consumption is reported to be dropping, and the most recent figures show that during 2015, a 14 percent year on year decline was witnessed in canned tuna volumes purchased by US buyers.

Because of this, leading brands now seem to be realizing a lucrative and health benefitting gap in the market where tuna might be able to thrive. But doubt still surrounds whether they are approaching the rejuvenation of the US tuna market in the right way.

One of the American Big-3 canned tuna brands, Chicken of the Sea, is keen to promote the health benefits of tuna, and says that seafood as a whole should be an important part of everyone’s diet, as it is a good lean protein and low in calories, while containing much needed nutrients like omega-3 and selenium.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages people to choose seafood in place of other protein foods at least twice per week. However, Christine Fleming, Chicken of the Sea’s Senior VP of Marketing, told Atuna that these same guidelines noted that average seafood consumption is below recommendations for all US age-sex groups, and suggests dramatic changes in the American diet to increase this intake.

She believes that while seafood like tuna is an excellent protein source, preparing dishes with fish can sometimes seem daunting.

And that’s why Chicken of the Sea and other canned tuna brands in the US are putting energy into promoting the convenience factor in their product, as a busy American population is increasingly looking for quicker, easier ways of preparing food.

One way COS has tapped into this marketing channel is by offering recipes on its website that gives ways to substitute meat for fish in some of the nation’s favorite recipes. Just one example is adding tuna to a quesadilla instead of chicken, Fleming explained.

She also mentions COS’ Tuna To-Go Cups, which require no draining and “are a perfect example of how we used our product innovation process to create products that meet the needs and wants of our consumers in a unique and healthful way.”

Convenience and relevance were the main characteristics that Jan Tharp, Bumble Bee’s COO, also thought needed to be driven back into canned tuna, as she mentioned in previous presentations. Bumble Bee recently added new ready-to-eat Sensations seasoned tuna with crackers kits to its range, in an attempt to tap into the young American population, a segment which wants quicker, easier lunch options.

But, is promoting the health and convenience of tuna the ultimate solution to the slowing consumption of this fish? Bill Purcell, President of Purcell International, a private label canned tuna supplier in the US, told Atuna that the declining quality of canned tuna is also a contributing factor to falling consumption in the American market.

Not only is the popularity of fatty fast food products on the rise, he says, but canned tuna is also struggling to keep up its fight against other supermarket proteins.

“The protein market is very competitive,” he says, explaining that beef, pork and chicken all advertise heavily and grocery chains have huge displays of these meats across the back of stores. He also points out that with a can of chunk light tuna retailing at a promotional price of USD 0.69 per unit, equating to USD 3.65 per pound, chicken is cheaper and sometimes so is pork. He adds that these are seen as more versatile proteins, with canned tuna mainly being used for sandwiches only.

Purcell explains that the younger generation has forgotten about canned tuna, and when they open a can, “they are generally very unimpressed. Plus it takes about two cans to make a sandwich these days…so that then doubles the price.”

He believes that the market can recover, but doubts if the brands have the will or financial ability to greatly improve the quality of canned tuna in the US, and mount long term aggressive marketing campaigns to re-educate the next generation.

Purcell is completely in favor of a significant improvement in quality in the US canned tuna market, and says that he has always thought that a consumer will pay a fair price for a good quality product.

“Look at other countries,” he said. “They all have better quality and charge higher prices. The US market is the lowest priced, and has the lowest quality, it seems, yet it is still one of the largest by volume.”

As far as the future of the tuna industry in the country, he says that there are many small brands starting to proliferate that have much better quality and higher prices. “They are advertising (MSC, pole and line, low/no mercury, no additives, all natural etc.) and promoting.” On top of this, they are also growing, Purcell stresses, which is very good and very healthy for the market and consumer.

“I believe that anything that brings focus to the tuna category is a positive in the long term…It should have a place in the home, and it is the only ready to eat/use fish product that is available that I can think of.”

Globally, obesity has been on continuous rise since at least the 1970’s, the report shows, a physical state which is associated with highly elevated risks of adverse health outcomes. If post-2000 trends continue, the researchers state that the probability of meeting the global obesity target is virtually zero. “Rather, if these trends continue, by 2025, global obesity prevalence will reach 18 percent in men and surpass 21 percent in women,” while severe obesity will surpass six percent and nine percent respectively.