Is Tuna Halal?

Seafood in general is considered halal. This, however, excludes poisonous and harmful creatures.

Rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D, there’s no wonder tuna is consumed regularly worldwide as part of a healthy diet. But is it halal? 

Eating tuna fish is considered halal and its consumption is permissible in Islam. However, Shia Islam doesn’t allow the consumption of dog-tooth (peg-tooth) tuna because it doesn’t have scales. 

“Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water-game and its use for food – for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel…”-(Quran 5:96)

 Some scholars believe all types of seafood are halal due to the generalization of the ruling and because there wasn’t a mention of a specific haram fish. (source)

Are All Species of Tuna Halal? 

Some scholars disagree on the fact that all species of tuna are halal. There are over a dozen species types of tuna, with some of the most common being Skipjack, Bluefin, Bigeye, Albacore, and Yellowfin. These are all agreed upon to be halal. However, some Shia scholars claim that dog-tooth (peg-tooth) tuna isn’t permissible for Muslims (source).

The Shia Imam Al Baqir has previously said “Eat any fish that has scales and do not eat what does not have scales.” As a result, dog-tooth (peg-tooth) tuna isn’t permissible for consumption following Shia Muslim belief because the species does not have scales. 

Is Canned Tuna Halal?

Fresh tuna is higher in protein and fewer in calories, and undoubtedly has a better nutritional value in comparison to canned tuna.

However, seeing as both are made out of tuna fish, there’s no differentiation between the two in terms of halal and haram and the previously mentioned ruling applies to both canned and fresh tuna (source).

Is Subway Tuna Halal?

There’s a bit of controversy regarding the legitimacy of subway tuna. According to USA Today, a lawsuit was filed in January 2021 claiming that Subway uses false advertising and that their tuna is made from  “anything BUT tuna.” and insists the mixture was blended together from various concoctions to give the look and feel of tuna (source).

To test these claims, a New York Times reporter conducted an independent study in which she attempted to detect the genetic material of Subway’s Tuna, no amplification DNA was present in the sample so they couldn’t identify the species. “Either it was too heavily processed to identify or there’s no tuna there.” 

The New York Times also reported that a Subway worker also said that Subway has no incentive to replace the tuna with anything else as it’s already cheap. (source)

Whether Subway tuna is legitimate or not is definitely not an easy question to answer, but because the plaintiffs haven’t mentioned any theories about the actual ingredients of Subway’s Tuna, one might argue that there is nothing to indicate that the tuna is made out of anything that isn’t halal to eat. 

Another might argue that since there’s no definitive answer about the components of Subway’s tuna, it’s better to avoid altogether. 

The mission of this site is to minimize and prevent bias and help you form your own decision, we hope this article helped you in doing so.