Unsafe levels of Mercury in our Tuna!

[SiliconJon]

"A startling fact revealed in the broadcast is that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mercury guidelines are much stricter than the FDA's. According to the EPA's standard, a 45-pound child eating just one six ounce can of white chunk Albacore tuna per week risks ingesting almost four times more mercury than is considered safe."

Links:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030716/nyw138_1.html

http://www.mercurypolicy.org/new/doc...30July2003.pdf

"FDA has not acted to address the public health concern associated with methyl mercury in canned
tuna. This is despite the fact that FDA has received scientifically based advice to strengthen its
advisory to warn the public about canned tuna on several occasions from outside experts, as well
as from its own in-house experts."

This is a VERY serious issue. Methyl mercury is not something our bodies can handle.

Google searches: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...y+fish+fda+epa
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...=Google+Search

As for the voting options, pick only two: a Yes OR No, and a follow up answer.

[Siliconjunkie]

Canned Tuna isnt a big part of my diet, so it wont really impact me. I am also not a big fan of the recent trend that everything you eat is bad for you. I'm gonna die anyway, certainly not doing to do it being a waif and unhappy.

[Lemon[H]ead]

I'd quite like to play with some mercury sometime, but like SiliconJunkie tuna isn't a big part of my diet. If you'd said Salmon or Mackerel I would've been outraged.

I say let the tuna eaters burn...muahahahahhaah!
just messing

[Skywalker[TSG]]

Bah who cares about these warnings anymore ?

Everything kills us and thats a fact , humans DIE just get used to it.

Air,water,sex,vegetables,meat,eggs,medicine,drugs, tobacco I can go on and on and on.

[SiliconJon]

Yes, it does all kill us...but this one is a bit more staggering than usual.

And it's in the Mackerel as well, Lemon! It's a biproduct of severe oceanic polution. Salmon seem to be ok, though: http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/NewsMedi...ury-study.html

While the FDA says nearly all fish contains trace amounts of methylmercury, the fish that accumulate the most mercury tend to be longer-lived or predatory (i.e., feed on other fish). In general, the smaller and younger the fish, the less likely it is to have high contaminant levels. Fish that feed on plants and small organisms are also less likely to be contaminated. The FDA singled out four types of large fish -- shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish -- as containing the highest levels of methylmercury.

Methylmercury can accumulate in freshwater sport fish as well as ocean and coastal fish, again depending on the fish's diet, age and the amount of pollution in its environment. Large- and small-mouth bass, northern pike, walleye, pickerel, and lake whitefish are freshwater sport fish that often have high levels of mercury.

taken from : http://www.restaurant.org/government...ry.cfm#caution

I'm not trying to start no panic...fish does contain many beneficial dietary needs. But there are scientists all across the boards who have found extremely high levels of mercury in multitudes of fish. We're not talking about it preventing cancer one day, and causing it the next. These are conclusive tests showing mercury levels at an unacceptable level in many cases.

Don't take this info too lightly. Much like if Strontium90 started making headlines in a food chain. Not to be ignored. But no need to freak out or completely change your lifestyle (unless you do nothing but eat large predatory fish all day...then you may want a new pastime/career).

[MD1032]

<bites into a hunk of tuna> OUCH!!!

[SiliconJon]

Now jump into an empty thermometer so we can tell what the temperature is...

[thekingofpain]

Check the beef, pork and poultry industry out---you will become an organic gardener and only trust what YOU produce for your family to ingest---
(Also dont forget, commercial fruits and veggies arnt safe either)

[Prexaspes]

I've known about this for a while. My rule is no more than 2 cans of tuna fish per week, but I never get that much.

In my opinion, it won't really benefit you to cut certain types of fish out of your diet because of other health concern. Did you know that salmon and sardines along with mackerel (tuna is aslo knows as horse mackerel) contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acid (the active ingredient in fish oil), and that omega 3 fatty acid fights atherosclerosis, as much as cholesterol reducing drugs? Did you also know that the American Heart Association recommends that you get at least two servings of these fish per week?

IMO, we have a much greater fat problem and ensuing heart disease than we have of mercury poisoning. Even so, never forget the saying "Mad as a hatter," for it comes from hatmakers of old who used mercury in their hats and were eventually driven mad, although much more than you could get from eating fish.

I do happen to live in an area of the states where agriculture is a staple, and have access to vegetables and meat directly from the farmers. And there is a great abundance of wild blueberries, which has a very high level of antioxidants (prevents cancer).


When it comes down to it, they are your lives and your bodies. You are responsible for what you put into it and what you put into your childrens'. Educate yourselves.

And dammit, no shellfish! That stuff is LOADED with cholesterol!

[Epidemic]

Epidemic cuts in to a nice cherry stone cuts the quivering mass from its anchors and slurps the living clam down.

MMMMMMMMM!!!