Report: Canned tuna high in mercury

SAM ROE AND MICHAEL HAWTHORNE, "Report: Canned tuna high in mercury",
Newsday, December 27, 2005,
Link:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/n...alth-headlines

Because of shoddy policing by the U.S. government and the influence of
the fishing industry, mercury contamination in seafood is so bad that
even tuna-fish sandwiches can be risky to eat.

A Chicago Tribune investigation has shown that canned tuna presents a
far greater health hazard to American consumers than what the federal
government and the tuna industry have led people to believe.

The government, for example, has stated repeatedly that canned light
tuna is low in mercury and a nutritious choice for pregnant mothers and
children.

What it doesn't tell you is that tens of millions of those cans
actually contain tuna that is high in mercury. And you would never know
which can is less safe from reading the labels.

A 161-pound woman - the average weight of women ages 18-45 - who ate a
couple of sandwiches a week of that kind of light tuna would exceed the
Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for mercury exposure.

The tuna in cans mainly comes from three kinds: skipjack, yellowfin and
albacore. Skipjack has the lowest level of mercury - the average woman
could eat almost three cans a week without consuming risky amounts of
mercury.

Albacore and yellowfin have higher levels - she could eat no more than
a can a week without risk.

Albacore, also called "chunk white," is typically labeled as such on
the can.

Cans labeled as "light tuna," however, can be made with either skipjack
(a smaller fish with low mercury levels) or yellowfin (a larger fish
with three times the level of mercury). Some light-tuna cans are
labeled as "yellowfin" or "gourmet," signaling to shoppers that they
may contain fish that generally has higher mercury levels. Many other
light-tuna cans offer no hint whether the tuna inside is skipjack or
yellowfin.

Consumers, therefore, have no way of knowing which cans contain fish
with higher levels of mercury.

The Food and Drug Administration, which polices the safety of
commercial seafood, said it had no knowledge of these industry
practices.

"We do not have information on what is put in canned light tuna," said
David Acheson, the FDA's chief medical officer. But he said the agency
stands behind its position that canned light tuna is a good choice for
at-risk groups concerned about mercury exposure.

No one knows how many people have been harmed by mercury in fish, but a
recent government study estimated 410,000 babies born each year in the
United States are at risk for mercury poisoning because of high levels
in their mother's body.

And almost all the mercury that people are exposed to comes from the
fish they eat.

The canned tuna industry said mercury risks are overblown, and there is
no credible evidence that anyone has been harmed from eating tuna.

"There are no Americans at risk," said John Stiker, who until recently
was an executive vice president of Bumble Bee Seafoods, a leading
canned tuna company.

Medical experts agree that, on balance, eating fish is good for most
people. Seafood is a low-fat source of protein, and some fish are rich
in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to help prevent heart
disease.

Still, a growing body of research shows the hazards of consuming fish
contaminated with mercury. Adults can experience memory loss, lack of
concentration, tremors and dizziness. Men also face an increased risk
of heart attacks, some studies suggest.

Children exposed to mercury can suffer subtle delays in walking and
talking as well as decreases in attention span and memory.

Because mercury passes easily through the placenta and can harm the
developing central nervous system, fetuses and small children are most
vulnerable to its effects. Many experts now believe that tuna-fish
sandwiches can be risky for children.

People should consult their physician if they are concerned. Blood and
hair tests can measure the amount of mercury in a person's body.

Mercury does not stay in the body forever. It takes about six months to
a year to leave the bloodstream once you stop eating the fish.

Documents and interviews show that the FDA has repeatedly failed to
tell Americans about the true risks of all varieties of canned tuna, at
times after heavy lobbying by the fishing industry.

For instance, when the FDA issued a mercury warning for seafood in
2001, it excluded canned tuna because, the agency said, people did not
eat enough to cause harm - even though at the time canned tuna was the
No. 1 consumed seafood in America. Shrimp has since become No. 1.

Last year, the FDA and EPA jointly warned pregnant women, nursing
mothers, women of childbearing age and young children not to eat more
than 12 ounces of fish a week, including no more than 6 ounces of
canned albacore tuna.

But when the FDA updated its warning last year, it arbitrarily
classified canned light tuna as low in mercury to "keep market share at
a reasonable level," one agency official told an FDA advisory panel,
according to transcripts of the meeting.

In interviews with the Chicago Tribune, the FDA denied that it gives
special treatment to the industry, saying public health decisions are
based on the best scientific evidence available at the time.

Suggested weekly limits

Here are the amounts of various fish a 161-pound person can eat per
week before being exposed to potentially unsafe amounts of mercury. A
typical serving is 6 ounces.

Swordfish

1.3 oz. (about 1/4 serving)

Orange roughy

3.2 oz. (about 1/2 serving) Walleye

3.5 oz. (about 1/2 serving) Yellowfin (tuna steak)

5.2 oz. (more than 3/4 serving)

Albacore (canned tuna)

6.0 oz. (1 serving)

Skipjack (Canned light tuna)

16.4 oz. (about 2 3/4 servings)

Salmon

60.1 oz. (about 10 servings)

"Roman Bystrianyk" wrote in message
ups.com...
SAM ROE AND MICHAEL HAWTHORNE, "Report: Canned tuna high in mercury",
Newsday, December 27, 2005,
Link:


how freaky, the surname of the first author of that article about fish....

Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
SAM ROE AND MICHAEL HAWTHORNE, "Report: Canned tuna high in mercury",
Newsday, December 27, 2005,
Link:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/n...alth-headlines

Yellowfin had a very good run off of Long Island all summer. Our local
DOH did some testing and found that the Yellowfin we were catching were
somewhat above what the FDA says, but lower than that of Albacore, which
everyone agrees has the highest.

Because of shoddy policing by the U.S. government and the influence of
the fishing industry, mercury contamination in seafood is so bad that
even tuna-fish sandwiches can be risky to eat.

A Chicago Tribune investigation has shown that canned tuna presents a
far greater health hazard to American consumers than what the federal
government and the tuna industry have led people to believe.

The government, for example, has stated repeatedly that canned light
tuna is low in mercury and a nutritious choice for pregnant mothers and
children.

What it doesn't tell you is that tens of millions of those cans
actually contain tuna that is high in mercury. And you would never know
which can is less safe from reading the labels.

A 161-pound woman - the average weight of women ages 18-45 - who ate a
couple of sandwiches a week of that kind of light tuna would exceed the
Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for mercury exposure.

The tuna in cans mainly comes from three kinds: skipjack, yellowfin and
albacore. Skipjack has the lowest level of mercury - the average woman
could eat almost three cans a week without consuming risky amounts of
mercury.

Albacore and yellowfin have higher levels - she could eat no more than
a can a week without risk.

Albacore, also called "chunk white," is typically labeled as such on
the can.

Cans labeled as "light tuna," however, can be made with either skipjack
(a smaller fish with low mercury levels) or yellowfin (a larger fish
with three times the level of mercury). Some light-tuna cans are
labeled as "yellowfin" or "gourmet," signaling to shoppers that they
may contain fish that generally has higher mercury levels. Many other
light-tuna cans offer no hint whether the tuna inside is skipjack or
yellowfin.

Consumers, therefore, have no way of knowing which cans contain fish
with higher levels of mercury.

The Food and Drug Administration, which polices the safety of
commercial seafood, said it had no knowledge of these industry
practices.

"We do not have information on what is put in canned light tuna," said
David Acheson, the FDA's chief medical officer. But he said the agency
stands behind its position that canned light tuna is a good choice for
at-risk groups concerned about mercury exposure.

No one knows how many people have been harmed by mercury in fish, but a
recent government study estimated 410,000 babies born each year in the
United States are at risk for mercury poisoning because of high levels
in their mother's body.

And almost all the mercury that people are exposed to comes from the
fish they eat.

The canned tuna industry said mercury risks are overblown, and there is
no credible evidence that anyone has been harmed from eating tuna.

"There are no Americans at risk," said John Stiker, who until recently
was an executive vice president of Bumble Bee Seafoods, a leading
canned tuna company.

Medical experts agree that, on balance, eating fish is good for most
people. Seafood is a low-fat source of protein, and some fish are rich
in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to help prevent heart
disease.

Still, a growing body of research shows the hazards of consuming fish
contaminated with mercury. Adults can experience memory loss, lack of
concentration, tremors and dizziness. Men also face an increased risk
of heart attacks, some studies suggest.

Children exposed to mercury can suffer subtle delays in walking and
talking as well as decreases in attention span and memory.

Because mercury passes easily through the placenta and can harm the
developing central nervous system, fetuses and small children are most
vulnerable to its effects. Many experts now believe that tuna-fish
sandwiches can be risky for children.

People should consult their physician if they are concerned. Blood and
hair tests can measure the amount of mercury in a person's body.

Mercury does not stay in the body forever. It takes about six months to
a year to leave the bloodstream once you stop eating the fish.

Documents and interviews show that the FDA has repeatedly failed to
tell Americans about the true risks of all varieties of canned tuna, at
times after heavy lobbying by the fishing industry.

For instance, when the FDA issued a mercury warning for seafood in
2001, it excluded canned tuna because, the agency said, people did not
eat enough to cause harm - even though at the time canned tuna was the
No. 1 consumed seafood in America. Shrimp has since become No. 1.

Last year, the FDA and EPA jointly warned pregnant women, nursing
mothers, women of childbearing age and young children not to eat more
than 12 ounces of fish a week, including no more than 6 ounces of
canned albacore tuna.

But when the FDA updated its warning last year, it arbitrarily
classified canned light tuna as low in mercury to "keep market share at
a reasonable level," one agency official told an FDA advisory panel,
according to transcripts of the meeting.

In interviews with the Chicago Tribune, the FDA denied that it gives
special treatment to the industry, saying public health decisions are
based on the best scientific evidence available at the time.

Suggested weekly limits

Here are the amounts of various fish a 161-pound person can eat per
week before being exposed to potentially unsafe amounts of mercury. A
typical serving is 6 ounces.

Swordfish

1.3 oz. (about 1/4 serving)

Orange roughy

3.2 oz. (about 1/2 serving) Walleye

3.5 oz. (about 1/2 serving) Yellowfin (tuna steak)

5.2 oz. (more than 3/4 serving)

Albacore (canned tuna)

6.0 oz. (1 serving)

Skipjack (Canned light tuna)

16.4 oz. (about 2 3/4 servings)

Salmon

60.1 oz. (about 10 servings)