Europe’s oldest tuna factory is located in Favignana, in the south of Italy, and currently serves as a museum about the first industrial canning of tuna. It also depicts the history of Sicily’s bluefin fishing and its fishermen. The Florio family built the facility in 1859 and the iconic nineteenth-century complex is now an industrial architectural heritage. Founder Vincenzo Florio invented the process of preserving bluefin by a steam cooking process and canning the fish in oil. This revolutionized the tuna canning industry and made his business a success.

The plant closed in 1977, but the areas where processing and landings of the fish took place remained intact. The shelters for the boats, the terrace where the nets were hung to dry, the cooking facility with the large red brick fireplaces, and the atrium with the original counters where the fish was canned are still there. The museum also shows the history of the Mattanza, the Sicilian bluefin fishing method and tradition, which has largely disappeared. The method is similar to the Spanish Almadraba.

Earlier this month, Amazon announced that it has launched a new private label, Amazon Grocery, which will include tuna and other seafood items, for sale in the US. The label replaces the company’s Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly lines. Details about the number of tuna items that would be sold under the private label are yet to be revealed by the retailer. However, Atuna found out that Yellowfin Skinless Steaks, with the MSC logo, are amongst the items for sale. The net weight of the product is 12 oz (340 g). This product is treated with carbon monoxide (for color retention), which is allowed in the US market but not the EU. The item was previously sold under Amazon Fresh.

Apart from seafood, Amazon Grocery features more than 1,000 food items, including dairy, meat, and other fresh produce, most of them priced under USD 5. Amazon’s private label is gaining momentum, with customers having purchased 15 percent more of such products in 2024 compared to the previous year across Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon Fresh, the company said in a statement. “With Amazon Grocery, we are simplifying how customers discover and shop our extensive private label food selection while maintaining the quality and value our customers expect and deserve,” said a company spokesperson.

South Korean company Dongwon F&B will introduce its canned tuna products to the US market next month through online retail platform Amazon, thanks to American rapper Cardi B. She recently went live on Instagram, trying one of Dongwon’s spicy tuna with rice and mayo, and called it “a perfect combination and delicious meal,” according to Korean news sites. She bought the tuna can from H Mart — an American chain of Korean supermarkets. Her Instagram video became a hit and sparked the interest for the product among Americans who were curious to find where they can buy Dongwon’s spicy tuna in a can. The rapper is an ardent fan of Korean food and, in the past, has promoted noodles, tteokbokki (rice cakes), and other food items from the Asian country.

Dongwon F&B will begin to sell only Dongwon Hot Pepper on Amazon, and will gradually expand the range of its products to tuna in vegetables and other Dongwon flavored tuna, depending on sales trends in the US. Dongwon F&B is owned by Dongwon Industries, which is also the owner of Starkist, one of the US’s top tuna brands. Dongwon Industries earlier announced that it aims to expand its tuna products globally, including in the US and the Middle East, this year.