Bumble Bee Foods controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile3 entries
2025
Forced-labor lawsuit involving Indonesian fishermen
Four Indonesian fishermen sued Bumble Bee, alleging that they were beaten and confined on fishing vessels supplying albacore tuna and that the company violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
2015
Tuna price-fixing case
Bumble Bee faced lawsuits and a federal investigation alleging coordination with competitors to fix prices of canned tuna sold in the United States. Former CEO Christopher Lischewski was later indicted and convicted in connection with the conspiracy.
2012
Death of Jose Melena at Santa Fe Springs plant
Employee Jose Melena entered an industrial oven at the company's Santa Fe Springs, California, facility while loading tuna cans for sterilization. Other workers subsequently loaded approximately 12,000 pounds of tuna, trapping him inside and causing his death. The company later faced workplace-safety citations, fines, and criminal charges.