Canned tuna contaminated by mercury

As detailed in a recent report published by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Bloom and Foodwatch, canned tuna contains elevated levels of mercury, a substance that is detrimental to human health. Bloom commissioned an independent laboratory to analyse 148 cans from five European countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. The analysis revealed that the entire sample set was contaminated with mercury. In particular, more than half of all the cans tested contained mercury above the maximum threshold set for other fish species, namely 0.3 mg/kg. Nevertheless, analysis indicates that the concentrations present in canned tuna remain below the established safety limits. This conclusion was validated by the FAO-WHO Committee, which has set the recommended weekly intake threshold at 0.3 mg for a 60 kg adult. However, these values pertain to the “fresh weight,” not the canned product, which serves to enhance the maximum mercury tolerance, according to Bloom‘s report.