Mercury in every tuna can This is the alarming finding that was made by BLOOM after analyzing more than 150 tuna cans in five European countries. It is regarded by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the 10 chemicals of the greatest concern to the health of the world population as well as arsenic and asbestos, this neurotoxin can pose significant risks to organisms (1).
After 18 months of inquiry, BLOOM reveals in an exclusive report that since the 1970s public authorities as well as the powerful lobby for tuna have deliberately favored the commercial interests of industrial tuna fishing, to the detriment of the well-being of the hundreds of millions of tuna eaters in Europe. Lobbying that was shrewd and naive led to the establishment of the “acceptable” mercury threshold three times higher for tuna than other species of fish like cod, and without any medical reason to have an individualized threshold.
The mercury level that was approved for tuna was not determined arbitrarily, as it is the highest level of contamination in tuna. This means that the threshold of danger was not set with the intention to protect human health, but rather to protect to protect the interests of financial investors in the industry. The thresholds, which were established by public authorities, in conjunction with tuna industry lobbyists result in an extensive contamination of people, which could have health thon en conserve.
Mercury, a Very Hazardous Poison
We should begin by noting the fact that mercury whose emissions have been rising dramatically in the last two centuries, is abundantly found within the marine environment. It is found in the fish in its harmful form, methylmercury which is then found on shelves and finally on the tables of thousands of families. Tuna is an animal predator that is at the highest in the food chain collects heavy metals from the prey it eats and has a tenfold higher level of mercury contamination than smaller species.
Tuna is one of the most popular fish across Europe. In France, we consume an average of 4.9 kg per person each calendar year (in the live weight equivalent). However, the regular consumption of methylmercury is in tiny amounts the risk of serious health problems especially (but not solely) for the development of the brain of infants and fetuses.
All Cans That Have Been Tested by BLOOM are Contaminated by Mercury
BLOOM randomly picked 148 cans of food products from five European countries (Germany, England, Spain, France, and Italy) and tested them by an independent laboratory; 100 percent of the cans were found to be contaminated by mercury. One can of two that was tested (57 percent) was above the most stringent mercury limit that fish can be set (0.3 mg/kg).
Of the 148 cans tested, one of the Petit Navire brands purchased in the Parisian Carrefour City had a record-setting level of 3.9 mg/kg, i.e., 13 times more than the level of species that are subject to the strictest limit which is 0.3 mg/kg. Due to the risks that are posed by the regular consumption of mercury in very low doses, all bottles that exceed the limit of 0.3 mg/kg should be removed from being sold. However, this is not the situation.
False Health Standards to Increase the Sales of Products Contaminated with Toxins
BLOOM has examined in detail every official document from the international bodies that are responsible for setting health guidelines (FAO-WHO Joint Commission, European Commission, Ministry of Agriculture) about mercury. Our research reveals that to determine the maximum amount of mercury found in tuna, no method is employed that considers the effects on the health of children and adults. However, the European government has chosen a strategy that is totally in contradiction with its obligation to safeguard public health.
They begin with the actual mercury content of tuna to determine an upper limit that guarantees the commercialization of 95 percent of them. This is the reason tuna, which is among the species most affected by mercury, is granted a maximum tolerance to mercury three times greater than one of the least affected species (1 mg/kg, compared to 0.3 mg/kg in cod, for instance). There is no reason for health to explain this disparity, as mercury is equally poisonous if consumed through tuna.
Mercury is an extremely toxic neurotoxin that is deposited inside the brain, and it is difficult to eliminate. The fact that it has acted upstream in the standards for regulation, it is now possible for the big retailers and manufacturers to market contaminated products legally. Making people believe that eating tuna is healthy from a health point standpoint is a defensible fraud with severe consequences.
International Bodies Expose the Extent of Influence of the Lobby for Tuna
BLOOM’s investigation also examines years of standards-setting through The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) both of which have had a significant influence on European rules for some years. Through the study of a variety of different documents, BLOOM has been able to discover that several people who are members of the joint FAO-WHO Expert Panel for Food Additives (JECFA) which is designed to ensure the safety of food, have conflicts of conflicts of interest.
The Codex Alimentarius, launched in 1963 by FAO along with the WHO to establish international standards for food was also heavily influenced by the tuna industry. The body responsible for monitoring food contaminants such as the Codex Committee of Food Additives Contaminants (CCCF) is headed by the Netherlands which is a major participant in industrial fishing. Additionally, the tuna giants are often represented directly by the national delegations during CCCF meetings, unlike non-governmental organizations.
SCoPAFF is the “Technical” Committee of the European Commission at the Heart of the Health Scandal
One of the key participants of the scandal exposed through the BLOOM investigation is an institution not well-known to the public at large, that is, SCoPAFF. SCoPAFF, Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. The purpose of this committee is, in addition to other tasks, to determine the highest levels of contaminants within food and drink products.
The committee is composed of representatives from all member states in the European Union; it operates without transparency as the European Commission refuses to disclose the identities of its participants, as well as the outcomes of the voting process and the precise details of their meetings. This lack of transparency affects the working groups that provide advice to the SCoPAFF.
The minutes of the meetings as well as the documents used in reference aren’t made public. This decision is made by the Commission, which doesn’t offer access to these documents unless it has received an order from an agency for openness.
The European Parliament, which is not allowed to participate in discussions or decisions regarding food safety standards It has tried for a while to get some control over the decisions made by SCoPAFF but to no avail.
Ineffective and rare Controls
In contrast to the diligence this health concern should call for, control measures are nearly absent from the tuna production and the marketing chain. In the Seychelles, which is the nerve center of tuna fisheries to supply the European market, health authorities are happy with a minimum of ten tests per year to ensure the safety of the millions of pounds of tuna that are shipped to Europe! The French authorities have turned on the toxic effects of mercury on tuna and have no faith in the commercial tuna trade as well as its massive distribution. As of 2023, there have been no restrictions established for canned tuna, and only less than fifty fresh tuna are tested.
In addition, as the few available control systems are constructed on a set of standards that is unbeatable, the number of tests that have non-compliant levels of contamination is insufficient to trigger any worry on the part of the authorities. Another smokescreen to further reinforce the false impression of security.
It is a BLOOM inquiry as part of the “TunaGate” series, which has revealed the ecological crime and many human rights violations that are attributable to the industry of tuna.