Target Good & Gather Tuna: Lawsuit & Quality Issues

If you've been eyeing Target's store-brand seafood lately, there's an important product you may want to leave on the shelf. Target's Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna has become one of the most talked-about grocery disappointments of early 2026 — and for good reason. A wave of damaging customer reviews, a scathing food media verdict, and now a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit have converged to make this product a cautionary tale for budget-conscious shoppers. Here's everything you need to know before you buy.

What Is Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna?

Good & Gather is Target's private-label food brand, positioned as a premium yet affordable alternative to national brands. The Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna (16 oz) retails for around $12.99, or approximately $0.81 per ounce. The packaging lists a single ingredient — yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares) — suggesting a clean, additive-free product with no added preservatives.

On paper, that sounds appealing: a simple, natural seafood product at a competitive price point from a trusted retailer. In practice, customers and food critics are telling a very different story.

Customer Complaints: Tough Texture, Discoloration, and Serving Shortfalls

The complaints about this product have been stacking up, and they go beyond mere preference. Shoppers who have purchased the Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna report a range of serious quality issues:

• Tough, stringy texture: Multiple reviewers describe the tuna as unpleasantly chewy and fibrous, far from the tender, flaky texture expected from yellowfin.
• Discoloration: Some customers have noted abnormal coloring in the fillets — a potential indicator of improper handling, bacterial activity, or parasites.
• Misleading serving count: The packaging claims four servings per bag, but shoppers consistently report receiving only three usable portions.
• Overall inedibility: A number of buyers say they threw the product away after attempting to prepare it, citing an unacceptable eating experience.

According to a roundup published by Tasting Table on March 29, 2026, Good & Gather's Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna was specifically called out as a product to skip — a significant rebuke from one of the food industry's most widely read publications.

The Class-Action Lawsuit: Are "Sustainably Caught" Claims Fraudulent?

Quality concerns are troubling enough, but the legal drama surrounding Target's tuna products adds another dimension entirely. In March 2026, Target was hit with a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit alleging that its Good & Gather canned chunk light tuna is falsely marketed as "sustainably caught."

The lawsuit centers on a fundamental contradiction: the product carries the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) checkmark logo, a widely recognized certification that signals responsible fishing practices. Yet behind that reassuring label lies a supply chain that critics argue is anything but sustainable.

Here's the core of the allegation:

• Target sources its private-label canned tuna from The Tuna Store LLC, a subsidiary of the global fishing conglomerate The Bolton Group.
• The Bolton Group relies heavily on longline fishing, a method that deploys lines stretching for miles with hundreds or thousands of baited hooks.
• Longline fishing is widely documented as one of the most ecologically destructive fishing methods, with high rates of bycatch — the unintended capture of non-target species including sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, and other endangered animals.

If the lawsuit's allegations hold up, it means consumers paying a premium for what they believed was an ethically sourced product may have been misled from the start. The case raises broader questions about what sustainability certifications actually mean — and how rigorously they're enforced at major retailers.

Understanding the MSC Certification Controversy

The Marine Stewardship Council certification is supposed to be the gold standard in sustainable seafood labeling. The blue MSC checkmark appears on thousands of products globally and is meant to assure consumers that the fish was caught using methods that protect ocean ecosystems and minimize environmental harm.

However, the MSC program has faced mounting criticism from marine biologists and environmental groups who argue that the certification process is insufficiently rigorous — and that some certified fisheries use methods that cause significant ecological damage. Longline fishing, in particular, has been at the center of these debates.

When a product bears a sustainability certification but the underlying fishing method is known to harm endangered species, consumers are left with a label that provides false comfort rather than genuine assurance.

The Target lawsuit may set an important precedent for how seriously retailers and certification bodies take the accuracy of eco-labels on food packaging. Shoppers who care about responsible sourcing should consider this case closely.

Better Alternatives to Good & Gather Tuna

If you're looking to replace this product in your pantry, there are better-regarded options available. When shopping for canned or packaged tuna, look for brands that are transparent about their fishing methods and sourcing. Some well-reviewed alternatives include:

• Wild Planet Albacore Tuna — frequently praised for quality and genuine sustainability practices, using pole-and-line fishing.
• Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna — known for testing every fish for mercury and sourcing from traceable fisheries.
• StarKist Selects Wild Caught Tuna — a more mainstream option with better texture consistency than the Good & Gather product.
• Tonnino Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil — a premium jarred option with excellent texture and transparent sourcing.

When evaluating any canned tuna, look beyond front-of-pack certifications and check the brand's sourcing page directly. Certifications like the MSC label are a starting point, not a guarantee.

What This Means for Target Shoppers

Target's Good & Gather line has generally been well-received since its launch, with many products earning loyal followings for quality and value. But this tuna controversy illustrates how private-label products can obscure important information about their origins — including who actually produces them and how.

The revelation that Target's canned tuna comes from The Tuna Store LLC, itself a subsidiary of The Bolton Group, is a reminder that store-brand products often have complex supply chains that are invisible to the average shopper. A Target label doesn't tell you where the fish was caught, who processed it, or what fishing method was used — and in this case, those details matter enormously.

For shoppers concerned about the sustainability lawsuit, it's also worth noting that the class-action covers the canned chunk light tuna specifically — but combined with the quality complaints about the frozen yellowfin fillets, the overall picture of the Good & Gather tuna range is not encouraging right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna safe to eat?

There is no official recall as of March 2026. However, customer reports of discoloration and unusual texture are concerning. Discoloration in fish can sometimes indicate spoilage or improper handling. If you have purchased this product and notice off-color or off-smell indicators, it's best to discard it out of caution.

What is the class-action lawsuit against Target about?

The lawsuit, filed in March 2026, alleges that Target falsely markets its Good & Gather canned chunk light tuna as "sustainably caught" when the product is sourced from The Bolton Group, which uses longline fishing — a method known to harm endangered marine species. Plaintiffs argue consumers paid a premium based on misleading eco-labeling.

Does the MSC certification guarantee sustainable fishing?

The MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification is the most recognized sustainability label in seafood, but it has been criticized by environmental groups and scientists for certifying fisheries that still use ecologically harmful methods. The certification should be treated as one data point, not a definitive guarantee of sustainable practices.

What are the best sustainable canned tuna brands?

Brands frequently recommended for genuine sustainability include Wild Planet Albacore Tuna and Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna, both of which use pole-and-line or traceable sourcing with stronger environmental track records.

Should I return the Good & Gather tuna to Target?

Target has a generous return policy on food items. If you purchased the product and are dissatisfied with its quality, you can return it to any Target store or contact Target's customer service for a refund. Keep your receipt or use the Target Circle app to locate your purchase history.

Conclusion: Skip This One

The convergence of poor quality reviews, a food media blacklist, and an active multi-million-dollar lawsuit makes Target's Good & Gather Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna one of the clearest "avoid" calls in the grocery store right now. Whether you're shopping for flavor, texture, or sustainability, this product currently fails on all three fronts.

The broader lesson here is one that applies to any private-label food product: marketing language like "wild caught" and "sustainably sourced" only means as much as the supply chain behind it. Until Target addresses both the quality issues and the serious legal allegations surrounding its tuna line, shoppers are better off reaching for a brand with a proven track record — and a more transparent story about how its fish actually gets from the ocean to your table.