Chicken or tuna: similar protein, different worries

Chicken and tuna sit side by side as the lean protein choices, and we found no trial comparing the two on any health outcome. The nearest is a randomized crossover study in 15 healthy adults, where a week on fish raised urinary uric acid to 741 mg a day against 641 mg on chicken. The type of fish was not named, and uric acid is a marker, which is a long way from kidney stones themselves. On protein they are close. USDA Foundation samples give raw skinless chicken breast 22.5 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) and drained canned light tuna in water 19.0 g. Raw meat against canned fish is an uneven match, and cooking raises the chicken figure as water is lost. The safety cards split along familiar lines, with mercury for tuna and Campylobacter for raw chicken.

How much is actually in it

• USDA Foundation samples give raw skinless chicken breast 22.5 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) and canned light tuna in water 19.0 g. — USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 Evidence E source
  Chicken breast skinless raw 22.5 g (range 21.6-23.4), canned light tuna in water drained 19.0 g (16.0-21.0), yellowfin frozen 24.7 g

What a real portion looks like

• USDA survey portions count a small can or pouch of tuna as 75 g and a standard can as 115 g. — US dietary survey portion weights, FNDDS food code 26155110 Evidence E source
  Small can 75 g, pouch 75 g, standard can 115 g, large can 255 g, unspecified 85 g

What cooking and storage change

• A meta-analysis of 48 Italian studies found Campylobacter on 62% of chicken skin samples and 20% of meat samples, with 10% of retail meat positive. — 48 studies of chicken skin, feces and meat in Italy, 2003 to 2023 (n = 48 studies) Evidence C source
  Pooled prevalence skin 0.62, feces 0.67, meat 0.20, retail meat 10%
• The USDA retention table has roasted chicken keeping 65% of vitamin B12 and 70% of thiamin, while baked lean fish keeps 90% of both. — USDA retention factors, Poultry Products CHICKEN,ROASTED and Finfish and Shellfish Products FINFISH,<5%FAT,BAKED,WO/DRIPPINGS Evidence E source
  Chicken roasted B12 65%, thiamin 70%, folate 60%; lean fish baked B12 90%, thiamin 90%, folate 90%

What it does to your health

• In a randomized crossover trial with 15 adults, a week of fish raised urinary uric acid to 741 mg a day, against 641 mg on chicken. — 15 healthy subjects, three 1-week phases of a standard metabolic diet with beef, chicken or fish (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Urinary uric acid 741 fish vs 641 chicken vs 638 mg/day beef; calcium oxalate saturation 1.79 fish vs 1.67 chicken
• In a 4-week randomized crossover trial with 15 adults with obesity, eating herring five times a week instead of chicken and lean pork shifted plasma energy and amino acid metabolites. — 15 healthy obese men and women aged 24-70, five meals per week for four weeks per arm (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Herring lowered plasma citrate, fumarate, isocitrate and oxalate and raised asparagine, ornithine and glutamine versus chicken and pork
• Observational data from 8 studies link eating small amounts of fish with a 17% lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease. — 8 prospective studies with 29 exposure groups (n = 8 studies) Evidence C source
  17% lower CHD mortality with small amounts, 3.9% further per extra weekly serving

Safety, limits and interactions

• A meta-analysis of 1,295 canned tuna samples from Iran found mean mercury of 0.11 mcg/g wet weight. — 23 articles, 1295 canned tuna samples, Iran, 1983 to 2017 (n = 1295 samples) Evidence C source
  Hg 0.11 mcg/g wet weight
• A systematic review of 30 studies found poultry mercury above regulatory limits in 12 of 17 countries, so poultry is not mercury-free either. — 30 studies of mercury and methylmercury in poultry meat and eggs worldwide (n = 30 studies) Evidence C source
  Levels above USDA 0.05 mg/kg or national limits in 12 of 17 countries, highest in chicken eggs from Colombia
• USDA FSIS advises cooking whole and ground chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. — consumers cooking poultry, USA Evidence E source
  165 °F for whole and ground poultry

Who this works differently for

• A systematic review of canned tuna found methylmercury hazard quotients above 1 for children in many countries, while cadmium, lead and nickel posed no non-cancer risk. — published measurements of toxic elements in canned tuna, risk calculated for adults and children Evidence C source
  Methylmercury THQ above 1 for children in 12 listed countries and adults in Tunisia, Cd, Pb and Ni THQ below 1
• Observational data from 1,308 Mediterranean mother-child pairs found no evidence of harm to cognitive or language scores at 18 months at the prenatal mercury levels measured, with a weak signal for motor scores. — 1308 mother-child pairs in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece, Bayley scales at 18 months (n = 1308) Evidence C source
  Language composite score beta 0.55 (95% CI 0.05-1.05) per unit maternal hair mercury, cord blood mercury and suboptimal gross motor OR 1.03 (1.00-1.07)
• The FDA says albacore (white) tuna typically carries three times more mercury than canned light tuna. — US consumers who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding and children 1 to 11, FDA/EPA fish advice Q&A Evidence E source
  Albacore about 3 times the mercury of canned light tuna
• For pregnancy and breastfeeding FDA and EPA advise 2 to 3 servings a week of Best Choices such as canned light tuna, or 1 serving of Good Choices such as albacore tuna, with 1 serving being 4 ounces. — people who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children ages 1 to 11 years Evidence E source
  2 to 3 servings a week from Best Choices or 1 serving from Good Choices, 1 serving is 4 ounces

The bottom line

A small can or pouch of tuna weighs 2.6 oz (75 g) and a standard can 115 g in US survey portions, without saying whether the liquid is included. Roasting chicken keeps 65 percent of its vitamin B12 and 70 percent of its thiamin, while baking lean fish keeps 90 percent of both, by 1975 USDA group factors that have no separate method for canned tuna. Observational data from 8 prospective studies, published in 2005, link eating small amounts of fish with a 17 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, and 3.9 percent further per extra weekly serving. That is fish in general, with no comparison against chicken. In a 4-week randomized crossover trial in 15 adults with obesity, herring five times a week instead of chicken and lean pork shifted plasma energy and amino acid metabolites. Herring is an oily fish, and no clinical outcome was measured. Mercury is the tuna question. The FDA says albacore, or white tuna, typically carries three times the mercury of canned light tuna, without giving concentrations. A meta-analysis of 1,295 canned tuna samples from Iran found mean mercury of 0.11 mcg/g wet weight, from a single market with species not separated. A systematic review of canned tuna modeled methylmercury risk above the safe threshold for children in 12 countries and for adults in Tunisia, from measured concentrations with no observed harm. Chicken carries some too. A review of 30 studies found poultry mercury above regulatory limits in 12 of 17 countries, mostly in eggs and liver. The FDA addresses its tuna advice to people who are or might become pregnant or breastfeeding and to children aged 1 to 11. For people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the FDA and EPA advise 2 to 3 servings a week from their Best Choices list, which includes canned light tuna, or 1 serving from the Good Choices list, which includes albacore, with 1 serving being 4 ounces. Our card holds no serving size for children aged 1 to 11, so this page cannot give a child's portion from it. Observational data from 1,308 mother and child pairs in four Mediterranean countries found no evidence of harm to cognitive or language scores at 18 months at the prenatal mercury levels measured. They showed a weak and inconsistent link with lower motor scores, and the mercury was not traced to tuna or any other fish. That cohort measured mercury, not tuna intake, so it is not evidence that more tuna, or albacore in place of light tuna, is safe in pregnancy or for children. For raw chicken, a meta-analysis of 48 Italian studies found Campylobacter on 62 percent of skin samples, 20 percent of meat samples and 10 percent of retail meat, with very high heterogeneity between studies. Its authors read the gap between skin and meat as cross-contamination during slaughter, processing and handling. USDA FSIS advises cooking whole and ground chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. We have no card on keeping raw chicken apart from other food, so this page cannot give that step.

Sources

1. ctun-r3-10 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation, dataset
   Chicken, breast, boneless, skinless, raw: Protein 22.525 g, range 21.5625-23.375; Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained: Protein 19.0 g, range 16.0-21.0; Tuna, ahi or yellowfin, frozen, wild caught: Protein 24.7 g, range 22.0625-26.875
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-28
2. ctun-r3-12 · FNDDS, dataset
   Fish, tuna, canned (FNDDS 26155110, fdc_id 2706311): 1 small can 75 g; 1 standard can 115 g; 1 large can 255 g; 1 pouch 75 g; Quantity not specified 85 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 26155110 (FDC 2706311) · checked 2026-09-28
3. ctun-r3-06 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
   Higher Campylobacter spp. prevalence rate was observed in faeces (67%) and skin (62%) compared to the meat matrix (20%), suggesting frequent cross-contamination events during slaughtering, processing and handling. The result showed that Campylobacter spp. are isolated from meat at retail (10%) and most of them belong to pathogenic species for the consumers.
   Vet Med Sci, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
4. ctun-r3-11 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:805 CHICKEN,ROASTED, group Poultry Products: folate_total_ug 60% retained, vitamin_b12_ug 65%, thiamin_mg 70%, niacin_mg 80%, iron_mg 90%, zinc_mg 100%; USDA-RETN-R6:2301 FINFISH,<5%FAT,BAKED,WO/DRIPPINGS, group Finfish and Shellfish Products: thiamin_mg 90%, vitamin_b12_ug 90%, folate_total_ug 90%, niacin_mg 95%, iron_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Codes 805 and 2301 · checked 2026-09-28
5. ctun-r3-01 · RCT
   A total of 15 healthy subjects completed a 3-phase randomized, crossover metabolic study. During each 1-week phase subjects consumed a standard metabolic diet containing beef, chicken or fish. ... Fish was associated with higher urinary uric acid than beef or chicken (741 vs 638 and 641 mg per day, p = 0.003 and 0.04, respectively).
   J Urol, 2014 · checked 2026-09-28
6. ctun-r3-02 · RCT
   A randomised crossover trial with 15 healthy obese men and women (age 24-70 years). Subjects were randomly assigned to four weeks of herring diet or a reference diet of chicken and lean pork, five meals per week ... The herring diet decreased plasma citrate, fumarate, isocitrate, glycolate, oxalate, agmatine and methyhistidine and increased asparagine, ornithine, glutamine and the hexosamine glucosamine.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2017 · checked 2026-09-28
7. ctun-r3-08 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   Our analysis estimated that consuming small quantities of fish is associated with a 17% reduction in CHD mortality risk, with each additional serving per week associated with a further reduction in this risk of 3.9%.
   Am J Prev Med, 2005 · checked 2026-09-28
8. ctun-r3-04 · meta-analysis of food analyses
   Data from 23 articles and 1295 samples were assessed and extracted. The ranking order of metals based on mean concentrations (μg/g wet weight) were Fe (13.17) > Zn (9.31) > Se (2.23) > Al (1.8) > Cr (1.63) > Cu (1.52) > As (0.38) > Ni (0.33) > Pb (0.24) > Cd (0.14) > Hg (0.11) > Sn (0.1).
   Food Chem Toxicol, 2018 · checked 2026-09-28
9. ctun-r3-05 · systematic review of food analyses
   Levels above those permitted by regulatory organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China's National Health Commission (NHC), and Thailand's Ministry of Public Health - set at 0.05, 0.05, and 0.02 mg.kg-1 respectively - were observed in 12 of the 17 countries, with the highest concentrations detected in chicken eggs from Colombia. Therefore, poultry production is not Hg-free and contamination by this metal must be monitored.
   Biol Trace Elem Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
10. sf-fsis3-1 · agency advice
    FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer...Cook ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
    USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
11. ctun-r3-03 · systematic review of food analyses
    The concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Ni were higher than the standard limits but they did not pose any non-carcinogenic health risks in adult and children's consumers (THQ <1). ... Moreover, the THQ value due to Me Hg for adult in Tunisia and for children in Tunisia, Malta, Portugal, Latvia, Cambogia, Peru, South Korea, Romania, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Egypt was higher than 1 value.
    Int J Environ Health Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
12. ctun-r3-07 · cohort
    This study showed an inverse relation between THg levels and developmental motor scores at 18 months, although the evidence was weak and partially internally and externally inconsistent. No evidence of detrimental effects of THg was found for cognitive and language outcomes at these concentrations and age.
    Int J Hyg Environ Health, 2019 · checked 2026-09-28
13. ctun-r3-09 · agency guidance
    Albacore, or white tuna, is larger and lives longer than the fish generally used in canned light tuna. ... Albacore tuna, also known as white tuna, typically contains three times more mercury than canned light tuna.
    US FDA, Questions and Answers from the FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish, 2022 · checked 2026-09-28
14. sf-fish-r2-6 · agency advice
    1 serving is 4 ounces ... Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list (OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list). ... Tuna, canned light (includes skipjack) Best Choice ... Tuna, albacore/white tuna, canned and fresh/frozen Good Choice
    FDA and EPA, Advice about Eating Fish · checked 2026-10-08