Genova
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 9 sources
US premium canned tuna brand owned by Thailand's Thai Union Group.
Genova publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Its supply chain was linked to forced labour in 2015, which it has only partly acted on.
Other canned and pouched fish brands
Nothing we've rated in canned and pouched fish is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 0 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden supply chain and forced or child labour. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2015) was a link through a supplier, which the company has only partly acted on.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 0 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in the United States, Thailand and China.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
- Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From product labels; Genova doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Traces most of its fish and seafood to named fishing boats or farms
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Genova tuna is labelled canned in the USA, at Thai Union's Lyons plant, which processes only pre-cooked loins bought in from processors it does not name; the brand says only that fish go to 'processing plants worldwide'. A can-code tool traces tuna to the boat that caught it, and Thai Union says all its tuna is traced to a vessel or vessel group and 99% is covered by its fisher welfare programme, vessel code audits or equivalents, but it publishes no vessel list or independent crew results. Only some lines carry MSC-backed Pacifical labels. Sold in North America, not Australia.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Thai Union is not among the companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Carries the 2015 AP investigation tracing slave-peeled Thai shrimp into the supply chain of Thai Union's Chicken of the Sea. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Link through a supplierA 2015 Associated Press investigation found people held against their will in Thai sheds peeling shrimp that reached the supply chain of Chicken of the Sea, Genova's sister brand under Thai Union. Source · search the archive | PartlyThai Union said it would bring all shrimp processing in-house by the end of 2015 and give jobs to workers whose factories closed. |
Sources and actions
Sources 9
Show all 9 sources
- AP: Global supermarkets selling shrimp peeled by slaves (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · 2015 AP investigation traced slave-peeled Thai shrimp into Chicken of the Sea's supply chain; Thai Union to bring shrimp processing in-house
- 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Thai Union is not among the benchmarked companies
- Tri-Union Seafoods issues recall of select Genova, Van Camp's, H-E-B and Trader Joe's tuna cans (FDA, 2025) · search the archive · Genova tuna is sold by Tri-Union Seafoods in the US
- Thai Union to ramp up overseas production in response to US tariffs (FoodNavigator, 2025) · search the archive · Thai Union's Lyons factory processes only loins; US-bound ambient exports come from Thailand
- Genova tuna with Pacifical label hitting US retail shelves (SeafoodSource) · search the archive · One Genova yellowfin in olive oil line carries the Pacifical label for MSC-certified PNA tuna; share of range not stated
- Our Brands (Thai Union) · search the archive · Genova is a Thai Union North American brand of premium yellowfin and albacore tuna, #1 premium tuna in olive oil item in the US in 2024
- Genova Wild Caught Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil 4 ct (Hannaford) · search the archive · Retail listing: Canned in the U.S.A.
- Thai Union marks 10 years of leadership in tuna sustainability (Thai Union, June 2026) · search the archive · 100% of tuna traced to vessel or vessel group; 99% of tuna volume covered by Fisher Work & Welfare, vessel code audits, improvement plans or equivalent
Published by Genova or its owner
- From Sea to Shelf: Inside Our Canning Process (Genova) · search the archive · Fish go to processing plants worldwide; trace tool identifies the boat that caught the fish; supplier facilities get announced and unannounced third-party visits
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Genova ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/genova, last researched 30 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Genova.