Why Is Canned Tuna Always Packed In Such Small Tins?

Tuna has been sold in small cans for years, but have you ever wondered why? The versatile ingredient stacks well in a pantry and can be used for tuna salad sandwiches, tuna casseroles, tuna cakes, or even a tuna melt. However, the reason for the small size of the cans has been debated by consumers for a while. Is it due to consumer demand? Or perhaps just convenience?

Either way, if you are someone who typically keeps canned tuna in the pantry, you probably have more than one can due to how small the packages usually are. Typical grocery store canned tuna such as Starkist, will come in 3-ounce or 5-ounce cans, which is far smaller than your average 10.75 ounce Campbell's soup.

While brands like Starkist or Bumble Bee can come in sizes of 12 ounces, it's not as common as the smaller options. We have figured out a couple of reasons for why that may be. The small size of tuna cans may be the result of a combination of historical factors, consumer preferences, industrial considerations, and shrinkflation.

The tuna canning industry began in 1903 when a businessman named Albert P. Halfhil put tuna in his empty, unused sardine cans, which he had due to a sardine shortage caused by overfishing and environmental factors.

History may point to canned tuna's small form factor being set by the use of sardine cans over 100 years ago, but some people have different theories for why the fish is sold in 5-ounce cans. The Guardian asked its readers in 2019 why tuna doesn't come in bigger tins and many readers shared their theories. One said "I suspect the reason it isn't more readily available is that people are used to it being in the size of can you normally get it in and it's a popular size as a result. There's not enough demand for many shops to offer alternatives."

Another mentioned the economy: "Worldwide, supermarkets are looking for a standardized long-life product they can buy from various supplier warehouses all year round. It makes sense for all competing canneries to produce mostly to a standard [size] that can be 'own labeled' as needed, potentially long after it was canned."

However, canned tuna has not always been sold in 5-ounce cans. The size of the cans has shrunk over time, going from 7 ounces to 6.5 ounces to 6.125 ounces and eventually down to 5 ounces over the years. The reason for this change isn't a mystery: It's grocery shrinkflation — costs went up, so manufacturers reduced the size of their products while keeping the price the same (or even increasing it).