Bumble Bee vs StarKist Albacore Tuna: Which Wins?
The two biggest names in canned tuna, matched up albacore-for-albacore. Same species, same lean white fish, nearly the same grade — this is a close one. Both are high-protein, low-fat pantry staples that grade well; the decision comes down to sodium, package format, and price. Every number below is pulled live from each product's graded fact sheet, including the per-100-g math that cuts through their different serving sizes.
The short answer
Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore is the pick if you want the more protein-dense, lower-sodium fish: 23.2 g of protein per 100 g and just 140 mg of sodium per serving — the lowest of any canned tuna we've graded. The trade-off is that it's a standard can you have to drain.
StarKist Solid White Albacore is the pick if you want a single-serve, no-drain pouch with more total protein in one package: 16 g you can tear open and eat at a desk. The trade-off is more sodium (240 mg per pouch) and slightly lower protein density once you account for the bigger serving.
The grades are essentially tied: Bumble Bee scores B+ (82/100) and StarKist scores B+ (80/100). Bumble Bee's two-point edge is sodium and density; StarKist answers with format and convenience. Crucially, both are albacore — so there's no mercury difference between them, and both are genuinely good lean protein.
Side-by-side
| Bumble Bee Solid White | StarKist Solid White | |
|---|---|---|
| Labelgrade | B+ 82 / 100 | B+ 80 / 100 |
| Serving size | 2 oz drained (56 g) | 1 pouch (74 g) |
| Format | Drained can | Single-serve pouch |
| Protein per serving | 13 g | 16 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 23.2 g | 21.6 g |
| Calories per serving | 60 | 80 |
| Calories per g protein | 4.6 | 5 |
| Total fat | 0 g | 1.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | 0.503 g |
| Sodium per serving | 140 mg | 240 mg |
| Sodium per 100 g | 250 mg | 324.3 mg |
| Sugar | 0 g | g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Species | Albacore | Albacore |
| Mercury tier | Higher (albacore) | Higher (albacore) |
| Ingredients | Tuna, water, broth, salt, pyrophosphate | Tuna, water, broth, salt, pyrophosphate |
| Protein density grade | A- | B+ |
| Ingredient quality grade | B+ | B+ |
| Saturated fat grade | A+ | A+ |
| Sodium grade | B- | C+ |
| Sugar grade | A+ | A+ |
| Fiber grade | F | F |
Where Bumble Bee wins
- Lower sodium — the headline difference. 140 mg per serving (250 mg per 100 g) versus StarKist's 240 mg (324.3 mg per 100 g). That's a B- vs C+ on the grade, and the biggest single gap between the two cans. For anyone managing blood pressure or salt intake, Bumble Bee is the cleaner choice.
- More protein-dense, gram for gram. 23.2 g per 100 g vs 21.6 g — Bumble Bee's solid loin packs a touch denser, earning the higher protein-density grade (A- vs B+). It also edges StarKist on calories per gram of protein (4.6 vs 5).
- Fractionally leaner fat. 0 g saturated fat vs StarKist's 0.503 g. Both grade in the A+ band — this is a tiny margin — but Bumble Bee's water-packed albacore is as close to fat-free as tuna gets.
Where StarKist wins
- More protein per package. 16 g in a single pouch vs 13 g in the Bumble Bee serving — if you want the most protein in one no-fuss unit, the bigger StarKist pouch delivers it. (Per gram of fish the two are close; this is about the package size you actually open.)
- Grab-and-go pouch format. The (74 g) pouch needs no can opener and no draining — tear and eat. That makes StarKist the better option for a desk drawer, gym bag, or lunch on the move, where a drained can is impractical.
- Single-serve portioning. One pouch is one serving, which is genuinely easier than rationing a can — no leftover half-can to wrap and refrigerate.
Where it's a tie
- Species and mercury. Both are solid white albacore — the same species, the same higher-mercury tier. Neither brand has a safety edge over the other, and both belong in the FDA's "eat less often" rotation.
- Ingredient quality. Identical five-item panels — white tuna, water, vegetable broth, salt, and a pyrophosphate stabilizer — so both grade B+. The lone additive is what keeps either from a cleaner four-ingredient score.
- Sugar and fiber. 0 g sugar and 0 g fiber for both — a perfect A+ on sugar and the structural F on fiber that every whole-muscle fish shares.
Which should you buy
Buy Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore if you're cooking at home and want the most protein-dense, lowest-sodium albacore for sandwiches, salads, and tuna melts. It's the better nutrition panel of the two — denser protein, notably less salt — and the can format is fine when you're at a counter with a strainer. This is the everyday-cooking pick.
Buy StarKist Solid White Albacore if you want convenience and portion control: a single-serve pouch with 16 g of protein you can open anywhere, no draining, no leftovers. The cost is more sodium and slightly lower density. This is the on-the-go and desk-lunch pick.
One thing to keep in mind for either: both are albacore, the higher-mercury tuna. They're excellent a few times a week, but if canned tuna is a near-daily protein for you, the bigger upgrade than choosing between these two is stepping down to chunk light (skipjack), which carries roughly a third the mercury for almost no nutritional loss. See where every can lands in our canned fish report card.
How they were graded
Both products use the v3 6-dimension Labelgrade formula (see /methodology): protein density 23% + ingredient quality 21% + saturated fat 18% + sodium 15% + sugar 15% + fiber 8%. Bumble Bee data from USDA FDC 2077379; StarKist data from USDA FDC 2035415. Because the two print different serving sizes, this page leans on per-100-g protein and sodium for the fair comparison — the per-serving numbers partly reflect package size, not the fish. Every figure here is read live from each product's record at build time, so the numbers can't drift out of sync with the individual fact sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more protein — Bumble Bee or StarKist albacore?
It depends how you measure. Per package, StarKist's pouch wins — 16 g vs Bumble Bee's 13 g — but that's mostly because the StarKist pouch (74 g) is simply bigger than the Bumble Bee serving (56 g). Gram for gram, Bumble Bee is the denser fish: 23.2 g of protein per 100 g vs StarKist's 21.6 g. Both are solid white albacore, both clear the FDA "high in protein" bar, and both are excellent lean protein. The serving-size difference is the thing to see through.
Which has less sodium?
Bumble Bee, clearly. It runs 140 mg per 56 g serving — about 250 mg per 100 g — versus StarKist's 240 mg per 74 g pouch, or 324.3 mg per 100 g. That's the single biggest difference on the nutrition panel, and it's why Bumble Bee grades B- on sodium against StarKist's C+. If sodium is the number you watch, Bumble Bee is the lighter-salt albacore. Both brands sell a low-sodium version (~70 mg) if you want to cut it further.
Is one lower in mercury than the other?
No — this is a true tie. Both products are albacore ("white") tuna, the same larger, longer-lived species, which averages roughly 0.32 ppm mercury versus about 0.13 ppm for chunk-light skipjack. So neither brand has a mercury edge over the other; the species is identical. The FDA/EPA put albacore in the "eat less often" tier — about one serving a week for an average adult, and pregnant people and young children should be stricter. If you eat tuna frequently, the bigger lever than brand is switching to chunk light, not switching between these two.
Why does StarKist come in a pouch and Bumble Bee in a can?
Format is the most practical difference between them. The StarKist pouch (74 g) is a single-serve, no-drain, no-can-opener package — you tear it open and eat, which makes it the better desk-drawer or backpack option, and it delivers 16 g of protein in one go. The Bumble Bee 2 oz drained (56 g) comes from a standard can you drain. Bumble Bee also sells pouches and StarKist sells cans, so check the specific package — but as graded here, StarKist is the grab-and-go pouch and Bumble Bee is the pantry can.
How do the Labelgrade scores compare?
Near-tie, with Bumble Bee a hair ahead: Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore scores B+ (82/100) and StarKist Solid White Albacore scores B+ (80/100) on the same v3 6-dimension formula. Bumble Bee wins protein density (A- vs B+) and sodium (B- vs C+). They tie on ingredient quality (both B+ — both carry a pyrophosphate stabilizer), saturated fat (both A+), sugar (both A+), and fiber (both F). StarKist's real counter is package: more protein per pouch and the grab-and-go format.