84% of labeled 'white tuna' in a US study were actually which fish?

• A. Tilapia
• B. Albacore
• C. Yellowfin tuna
• D. Escolar

Answer: (D)

“White tuna” isn’t a real fish name; it’s a marketing label that has often been applied to escolar. In the US, studies have shown that a large majority of products labeled as white tuna were actually escolar. That makes escolar the most common mislabelled species behind that term. Escolar is a deep-sea fish with pale, soft flesh that can resemble tuna in appearance and texture, which is why it’s substituted in some cases. Knowing this helps explain why the label can be misleading and highlights why consumers might be getting a different fish than they expect. If you eat too much escolar, some people experience digestive upset due to its waxy esters, adding a safety angle to the labeling issue. The other fishes listed are real species with different identities, so the statistic specifically points to escolar as the mislabeled fish.