Urgent warning over tinned tuna sold in UK and EU as study finds it poses 'colossal risk to public health'
by Bradley Jolly · ChronicleLiveExperts have issued a stark warning that tins of tuna sold in the UK may contain a toxic metal. Methylmercury, which is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children and has been linked to cancer, was detected in nearly all of the 150 cans bought across France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Britain for a study.
The tests on these tins revealed "contamination" with the metal, known to hinder brain development and cause potentially fatal lung damage. Researchers are calling this discovery "a colossal risk to public health" and are pressing for immediate government action.
Karine Jacquemart, CEO of Foodwatch France, one of the organisations behind the investigation, stated: "What we end up with on our dinner plates is a colossal risk to public health that's not considered seriously. We won't give up until we have a more protective European standard."
Currently, EU and UK regulations set the mercury limit in tuna at 1 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg for other fish like cod. However, the joint study by Foodwatch and Paris-based NGO Bloom found mercury in all 148 tins tested, with 57 per cent exceeding the 0.3 mg/kg threshold.
One tin from a Paris Carrefour City store showed a record 3.9 mg/kg level of mercury—13 times over the 0.3 mg/kg limit. In response to their findings, Bloom and Foodwatch are urging European countries to "activate a safeguard clause" to halt the sale and promotion of products surpassing the 0.3mg/kg level, reports the Mirror.
Campaigners have urged governments to ban "all products" containing tuna from school canteens, nurseries, maternity wards, hospitals, and care homes due to health concerns. Europeans on average consume more than 2.8 kilos of tuna annually, equating to around 25 cans.
A significant portion of mercury released into the atmosphere, both naturally and through human activities like coal burning, eventually finds its way into the oceans. Here, it is transformed by microorganisms into a toxic form known as methylmercury.
This substance then climbs the food chain, accumulating in large quantities within apex predators. Tuna, along with other predatory or long-lived species such as sharks and swordfish, are particularly susceptible to mercury build-up due to their diet of smaller fish and longer lifespans.
Methylmercury exposure can harm the kidneys and nervous system, cause vision problems, and increase the risk of heart disease. The World Health Organisation has highlighted that pregnant women and children are especially at risk from high levels of methylmercury.
In extreme cases, certain types of mercury have been linked to tumour development in rats and mice, according to studies.
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