News Coverage
How much tuna is safe to eat?
FDA's new advisory isn't tough enough, some experts say
Published April 20, 2004
If it isn't PCBs, it's mercury.
The federal government has issued new guidelines concerning mercury contamination in fish.
But while the guidance is a step in the right direction, it falls short.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency issued the joint advisory in March after months of negotiation. The final wording aims to steer consumers away from dangerous intakes of high-mercury fish without scaring them off fish altogether.
The canned-tuna industry is pleased with the results. Consumer advocates aren't.
The advisory labels albacore tuna as being moderately high in mercury and suggests a consumption limit of 6 ounces per week. However, one nationally known mercury expert and member of the advisory panel resigned in protest when the advisory was released.
"We wanted albacore tuna on the list of fish not to eat," Vas Aposhian, a University of Arizona professor, told the Washington Post. "We knew that wouldn't happen because of pressure from the industry, but we certainly didn't think there should be a recommendation to eat 6 ounces of albacore."
An EPA analysis found that in 1999-2000, 15 percent of newborns may have been exposed to unsafe levels of mercury before birth. Neurological effects can include learning disabilities and lower IQ.
Tuna is the greatest source of mercury in the American diet. The fish are contaminated by pollution.
The new FDA/EPA guidelines mark the first time tuna has been flagged for restriction. The recommendations: