Some Imported Tuna Exceeds Federal Mercury Limits
Environmental group Defenders of Wildlife is making news by reporting that mercury levels in many imports of canned tuna exceed federal mercury limits. Canned tuna from Ecuador and Mexico were the worst offenders. Defenders of Wildlife previously targeted the same countries for their failure to follow dolphin-safe tuna practices.
The higher mercury levels likely result from the practice of catching “larger, more mature fish, which tend to have higher levels, being at the top of the food chain.” For the study, Defenders of Wildlife arranged for a labratory to test “164 cans of tuna labeled as being from Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States.” The AP summarized the results:
-Average mercury content of U.S. tuna was generally lower than imported tuna.
-Tuna from Asia had the lowest average levels of mercury.
-Tuna from Latin America had the highest mercury levels, with some exceeding the government limit of 1.0 parts per million.
The lab found higher levels of mercury even in light tuna, which the Food and Drug Administration considers to be low in mercury.
With approximately half of the canned tuna in the United States being imported, the impact of this report could be far-reaching. Among the offending brands were Calmex from Mexico, Sardinar from Costa Rica, and Tuna Real.
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