![]() ![]() In other words, tuna is responsible for six times as much mercury exposure as the four very-high-mercury fish varieties the government advises pregnant women not to eat. (See page 19 of the linked document.) By comparison, the four highest-mercury varieties combined, swordfish, shark, king mackerel and Gulf tilefish, account for just 6.5 percent of total mercury contributions. In an analysis submitted to the FDA in April 2009, The Mercury Policy Project showed, using FDA’s own data, that tuna accounts for 37.4 percent of all the mercury in the US seafood supply. Tuna sushi, often made from large bluefin tuna, which are older and therefore have higher mercury levels, contains about 1.0 part per million mercury, putting it on a par with swordfish and shark among the highest-mercury fish.īecause of its popularity and because all varieties of tuna have relatively high mercury levels, tuna is by far the largest source of methylmercury exposure in the American diet. Canned albacore tuna and fresh/frozen tuna steaks contain 0.353 and 0.384 part per million mercury, respectively, about three times as much as canned light has. In contrast, canned light tuna contains 10 times as much mercury, 0.118 part per million. Shrimp has the lowest methylmercury level among seafood items, with 0.012 part per million. Unfortunately, as long-lived ocean predators, tuna accumulate methylmercury. It’s a favorite sandwich ingredient for families with children, and a staple of the Federal school lunch program. Although sales have been declining as Americans have responded to a growing variety of seafood choices, canned tuna is still very popular. Canned tuna, especially the canned light variety, is an inexpensive source of high-quality protein. ![]() Fresh and frozen tuna steaks and tuna sushi are also popular choices, although they make up much smaller fractions of the market. ![]() Of the two popular varieties, about three times as much canned light tuna (the less expensive variety) is consumed as canned albacore (or “white”) tuna. One out of every six of our seafood meals is tuna, and most of it is canned tuna.
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