Experts have issued a warning that tins of tuna sold in the UK may contain a toxic metal. A new study found that almost all of 150 cans purchased in several European countries, including Britain, contained methylmercury, a substance linked to cancer that poses a significant risk to pregnant women, and children.
The tests revealed “contamination” with the metal, which can cause brain development issues and life-threatening lung damage.
Researchers have described the findings as “a colossal risk to public health” and are urging governments to take immediate action.
Karine Jacquemart, CEO of Foodwatch France – one of the two groups that conducted the study – 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.”
The current EU and UK law sets a limit of 1 mg/kg for mercury in tuna and 0.3 mg/kg for other fish.
However, as reported by The Mirror, the study found that 57 percent of the tins tested exceeded the 0.3 mg/kg limit, with one tin purchased in Paris containing a record level of 3.9 mg/kg – 13 times the limit.
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The organisations behind the report, Foodwatch and Bloom, are calling for a safeguard clause to be activated to prevent the sale and promotion of products exceeding the 0.3mg/kg limit.
They are urging governments to banish “all products” with tuna from educational and healthcare institutions such as school canteens, nurseries, maternity wards, hospitals, and care homes given the concerning statistics that the average European devours over 2.8 kilos of tuna annually – that’s approximately 25 cans.
Astonishingly, close to 80 percent of mercury emissions, stemming from both natural phenomena and manmade activities like coal combustion, permeate our oceans. Here, it transforms into a hazardous compound known as methylmercury through microbial processes.
This sinister toxin progressively migrates up the food chain, resulting in alarmingly high concentrations within apex predators. Tuna, sharks, swordfish and similar species amass significant mercury levels due to their diet involving smaller fish and life longevity.
Methylmercury exposure in humans can inflict damage upon kidneys and the nervous system, precipitate vision problems and escalate the probability of cardiovascular diseases. Significantly vulnerable groups include pregnant women and children, as highlighted by the World Health Organisation.
Moreover, extremely elevated mercury levels have been shown to proliferate the emergence of tumours in rodents across various studies.
The cans tested in the study were bought in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.