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Canned tuna exceeds guidelines on mercury: CBC investigation

Last Updated: Monday, February 19, 2007 | 5:50 PM CT

CBC News

Following a CBC investigation that found mercury levels above the

allowed limit, Health Canada issued new consumption guidelines on

Monday for canned albacore tuna for women and children.

 

 

An Ottawa lab measured the mercury content of 60 cans of tuna with

their labels removed to ensure blind testing.

(CBC)

The tuna can routinely exceed Canada's mercury guidelines, the

investigation has learned, but until Monday, Health Canada failed to

warn consumers about the potential danger.

 

The health benefits of eating tuna have been widely established; it is

a relatively inexpensive source of high-quality protein, low in

saturated fat and contains omega-3 fatty acids, touted for their heart-

protective benefits.

 

But tuna also contains mercury, a dangerous toxin that can affect the

heart, brain and immune system.

 

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However, prior to CBC's investigation, if you read Health Canada's

advice on the matter, you would have thought you had nothing to worry

about.

 

Health Canada has established a guideline level of 0.5 parts per

million (ppm) for mercury in commercial fish.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tests canned tuna before it gets

to store shelves to ensure it meets the 0.5 ppm guideline. On average,

six per cent of the albacore tuna it tests fails and is pulled before

it gets to grocery stores.

 

" I have confidence in the program that we operate, that it continues

to serve the public well in providing assurance that the products in

the marketplace predominantly meet the guideline level, " says CFIA

spokesman Paul Mayers.

 

CBC put that claim to the test, conducting the first public survey of

its kind to examine the mercury content in the canned tuna that makes

it to store shelves.

 

13% exceeded guidelines

Sixty cans of albacore, or " white " tuna, were purchased at nine

grocery stores in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. Studies have shown

" white " tuna is typically higher in mercury content than " light "

tuna,

because it's generally a larger, older fish that has accumulated more

mercury.

 

MERCURY IN FISH

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that's found in soil and

rocks as well as bodies of water. We absorb trace amounts of it from

dental fillings, air and water pollution and from the food we eat.

Fish tend to be our largest source of mercury.

 

High levels of mercury can damage our nervous systems and can inhibit

brain development in young children. It's not clear what the long-term

effects of extremely low levels of mercury are.

 

Mercury binds tightly to the proteins in fish tissue. Most fish will

contain trace amounts of mercury, depending on the level of mercury in

their environment and their place in the food chain.

 

The bigger the fish and the higher up the food chain it is, the more

mercury it will tend to contain. Large predatory fish species tend to

have higher levels than non-predatory fish or species farther down the

food chain.

 

The tuna was tested at the University of Ottawa's Centre for Advanced

Research in Environmental Genomics, which is internationally

recognized for its work with mercury.

 

" I was suprised. They were a good deal higher than I'd thought, " said

Dr. David Lean, who supervised the testing. " Clearly these tuna should

not be eaten on a regular basis, " he added.

 

Thirteen per cent of the tuna tested exceeded Health Canada

guidelines.

 

" This is not to say if you eat fish above 0.5 you're going to drop

dead tomorrow, or if you eat fish a little bit lower you're going to

be fine. It has to do a lot with how much of it you eat, " Lean said.

 

" But we were seeing numbers as high as 0.9, which is almost double the

guideline. So why are they on the shelf? Why are we not protected? "

 

Results no surprise to CFIA

Paul Mayers, a spokesman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said

the organization does the best it can.

 

" Our view was that the results don't represent a surprise, " he told

CBC.

 

The CFIA actually allows mercury levels up to 0.54, due to its system

of rounding to one decimal point, so only eight per cent of the tuna

tested should not have been for sale, officials said.

 

As for why so many cans that exceeded even the 0.54 guideline are on

grocery-store shelves, Mayer said it's inevitable.

 

" I'm not saying that compliance can never improve. What I'm saying

is

we will not get 100 per cent when we're dealing with a ubiquitous

environmental contaminant. "

 

Other countries, such as the United States, have issued advisories to

consumers about the potential dangers of canned tuna - including

special advice to pregnant and nursing women, because too much mercury

can cause neurological damage, especially in children and fetuses.

 

Dr. David Lean supervised the testing of the tuna in Ottawa's Centre

for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics.

(CBC)

Safe consumption advice ranges from no more than one can of albacore

tuna a week in some jurisdictions to none at all in others.

 

While Health Canada does warn about consumption of fresh and frozen

tuna, its website, until Monday, said limiting canned tuna consumption

was not necessary.

 

" We are making available this information right now because of the

interest in canned albacore tuna in particular, " Health Canada's

Samuel Godefroy told CBC on Monday afternoon.

 

The new guidelines indicate that " Canadians can rest assured that

there is no reason to stop eating canned tuna. "

 

However, it suggests that " as a precaution " :

 

Pregnant or breastfeeding women can eat up to four servings of canned

albacore tuna per week.

Children between the ages of one and four years can eat up to one

serving per week.

Children between the ages of five and 11 years can eat up to two

servings per week.

One serving of tuna is 75 gm, 2½ oz, 125 mL, or ½ cup.

 

Tuna consumer finds own mercury levels high

Ottawa's Kevin Walker found out about the risks of eating too much

canned tuna the hard way. Walker, a health-conscious consumer, used to

eat two to three cans of tuna per day for its health benefits.

 

Toxicologist Dr. David Lean examines mercury test results with Kevin

Walker.

(CBC)

Lean tested Walker's body for mercury content and found it was four

times higher than levels recommended by the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency.

 

" If I hadn't of met David, my levels would probably be at a dangerous

level, " said Walker. " I think it's irresponsible on Canada's part,

Health Canada, for not educating the public about the concern of

consuming too much tuna. "

 

It took one year for Walker's mercury levels to drop to normal after

he stopped eating canned tuna.

 

Now he's eating it again, but says he's following American guidelines

to get the maximum health benefits with a minimum of mercury.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has begun an investigation based

on the CBC's test results. The agency says it will recall product, if

it finds such a move is justified.

 

 

I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to

tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of war, corporations have been

enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money

power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the

prejudices of the people until all the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and

the republic is destroyed. I feel, at this moment, more anxiety for the safety

of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my

suspicions may prove groundless. " Lincoln in a letter to Col. William F. Elkins

on November 21, 1864