An alarming discovery by the NGO BLOOM revealed that every tenth tin of tuna contains dangerous mercury levels. This finding comes from an analysis of nearly 150 tins sampled from five European countries.
BackgroundMercury, considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top ten chemical substances of greatest concern for public health, poses significant risks to human health. Primarily released into the environment through coal and waste combustion, mercury finds its way into the oceans, where it accumulates in fish in its most toxic form, methylmercury. This toxin ends up on the plates of millions of families worldwide.
Tuna, as a top predator in the marine food chain, accumulate higher levels of heavy metals compared to smaller fish species. Despite health organizations advising limited consumption of predatory fish like tuna, it remains the best-selling fish in Europe. Mercury, once ingested, stays in the human body for years, making regular consumption, even in small quantities, a significant health hazard.
The New Study
BLOOM's study analysed the mercury content of 148 tins of tuna from England, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain. The results were alarming: every tin contained mercury, and 57% of the tins exceeded the strictest European Union limit of 0.3 mg/kg. About 10% had mercury levels above 1 mg/kg. One tin from the Petit Navire brand, purchased at a Carrefour City store in Paris, had a record level of 3.9 mg/kg, which is 13 times higher than the limit for species subject to the strictest regulation. Spain's Carrefour products followed with 2.5 mg/kg, while Italian brand As do Mar showed levels up to 1.5 mg/kg.
Recommendations and Criticisms
BLOOM and Foodwatch NGOs criticize the current legal mercury limits as being too high and not based on health risks but rather on the observed contamination levels. They advocate for banning the sale of any tuna tins exceeding the 0.3 mg/kg mercury limit due to the dangers posed by regular ingestion, even in small doses.
This discovery underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations and more comprehensive monitoring to protect public health from mercury exposure.
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last time modified: November 2, 2024
