Canned tuna sold in France is contaminated with mercury, this brand is one of the worst

Two NGOs are warning about the almost systematic contamination of tuna cans with mercury. This highly toxic chemical element is present in very high doses in the products of certain brands.

Two NGOs are sounding the alarm about the presence of an “extremely dangerous poison” in canned tuna. While tuna is the most consumed fish in the world, by the French, with nearly 5 kg ingested per person per year on average, the Bloom and Foodwatch associations warn against the risk of contamination by heavy metals in a report published this Tuesday, October 29. They go so far as to denounce a “real public health scandal”.

In their investigation, the NGOs examined a sample of 148 cans of tuna from all brands available in five European countries (Germany, England, Spain, France and Italy). And the conclusions are clear: “100% of the cans are contaminated with mercury”. For half of them, the situation is worse, because the mercury content exceeds the maximum limit set by health agencies for food products made from other species of fish, i.e. 0.3 mg/kg. For tuna, the threshold is set at 1 mg/kg. 

Mercury is a chemical element that occurs naturally in the environment, but human activities such as metallurgy, coal-fired power plants, and waste combustion increase its presence in the atmosphere. Mercury is classified as one of the ten substances of greatest concern to public health by the World Health Organization (WHO). But NGOs point out that tuna cans are contaminated with methylmercury, an even more toxic derivative of mercury obtained after chemical reactions with bacteria, particularly in aquatic environments. This derivative is considered potentially carcinogenic during regular contact according to the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).

Exposure to methylmercury is “toxic to the human central nervous system, particularly during in-utero development and early childhood,” health authorities say. It can cause “neurological and behavioral disorders,” WHO adds.

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Until nearly 4 mg of mercury per kilo of tuna

The risk of mercury contamination through the consumption of canned tuna is therefore cause for concern. Especially since for some cans, the mercury content far exceeds the authorized thresholds. Canned products from the brand “Petit Navire” are also singled out as the worst cans of tuna on the market. of the European Union with 3.9 mg of mercury per kilo of tuna, well above the authorized standards.

If this brand is cited as an example, researcher Julie Guterman, who participated in the NGO survey, specifies that in general “tuna is one of the most contaminated species” since, as a predator at the top of the food chain, it accumulates heavy metals from its prey.

As such, and because tuna is the most widely consumed fish, NGOs deplore the difference applied between this species and other fish regarding mercury content. “Mercury is no less toxic if ingested via tuna, only the mercury concentration in the food counts”, the associations recall in their investigation.

Emergency measures proposed

Faced with the results of the investigation, the NGOs urge the authorities to take “emergency measures” and invite the European Commission to align the strictest maximum content it has set for other species with tuna, i.e. 0.3 mg/kg. They also denounce the responsibility of lobbies: “For over thirty years, large-scale distribution has been taking full advantage of these distorted standards to sell astronomical quantities of tuna contaminated with mercury”. Among the other measures demanded, the NGOs mention “strict control” on the quality canned products and the implementation of clauses to prohibit the marketing of canned goods exceeding the thresholds within the European Union.

“We demand that the public authorities strengthen regulations and, without delay, that distributors only market products below the most protective threshold”, summarizes Camille Dorioz, campaigns director at Foodwatch. In the meantime, NGOs are recalling the recommendations in force concerning the consumption of fish, know maximum twice a week, favoring oily fish like salmon or sardines and those from wild fishing.