Washington, DC - The U. S. Tuna Foundation today disputed recent reports in the Chicago Tribune about the safety of canned tuna, stating that extensive research in the U.S. and abroad confirms that no one is at risk from the minute amounts of mercury in this popular food.
Responding to a three-part series in the Chicago Tribune and a segment on the TODAY Show, the U.S. Tuna Foundation stated that the mercury levels in canned tuna are very low and well below the very conservative limit set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moreover, new tests conducted by Rutgers University for the Chicago Tribune confirm this fact. Compared to ongoing FDA tests, which find that canned light tuna has an average of 0.12 parts per million (ppm) of mercury and canned albacore tuna has an average of 0.35 ppm, the Rutgers tests puts the average amount of mercury in light canned tuna in Chicago area supermarkets at 0.11 ppm and albacore tuna at 0.30 ppm.
“These findings should have been reported as good news for consumers because the mercury levels are very low and fall within the limits set by FDA,” said David Burney, Executive Director. “But unfortunately, the findings were used to raise concerns about eating tuna when the real risk to the public is not getting enough canned tuna and other fish in the American diet.”
Specifically, the U.S. Tuna Foundation pointed to the findings of a major study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, which confirms that the health benefits of consuming seafood far outweigh any risk due to trace amounts of mercury in fish. Published in the November 2005 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the new study concludes that for women of childbearing age, cognitive benefits can be achieved with virtually no negative impact on the developing child if women of childbearing age eat two servings a week of fish that are low in mercury. The Harvard researchers further reveal that if Americans reduce their fish consumption out of confusion about mercury, there will be serious public health consequences, notably higher death rates from heart disease and stroke.
“From the standpoint of public health, the real risk for the public is not getting enough canned tuna in your diet,” said Burney “If the public reduces or eliminates fish consumption based on unsubstantiated risks concerns, they will lose a number of well-established health benefits.”
USTF also went on record as disputing the claim that 460,000 children may be at risk from mercury levels in fish, stating that no one in the U.S. has been shown to have anywhere near the amount of mercury in their system from eating seafood known to cause a health problem. This is supported by two large studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which found all of the women and children studied were significantly below any known adverse effect level (confirming no one is at risk).
USTF further challenged the Chicago Tribune’s reporting about the use of Yellow Fin tuna in canned light tuna. According to the Rutgers findings, the amount of mercury in the Yellow Fin analyzed is 0.06 parts per million — even lower than regular canned light. Moreover, the Chicago Tribune confuses the higher levels of mercury in Yellow Fin steaks, which are eaten infrequently, with what is used in canned light tuna.
More information about canned tuna and its health benefits is available at the USTF Web site, www.tunafacts.com.
Established in 1976, the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) is the national organization representing the canned tuna processors and the fishermen who supply them and addresses issues ranging from fishing access arrangements to federal and state regulations and domestic marketing.
Media Contacts:
Members of the media with questions or comments concerning the canned tuna industry or the U.S. Tuna Foundation should contact Katie Pendergast at
(202) 530-4898.
