Tuna and mercury, producers: no health risk

"Quality, food safety and healthiness of canned tuna are an absolute priority for the Italian canned fish industry. Let's restore the facts, there is no risk of non-compliance from mercury in canned tuna sold on the Italian market'. This is the comment of the producers d of Ancit (National Association of Fish Canning and Tuna Processing) to the recent report published in France by the non-governmental organisations Bloom and Foodwatch, according to which canned tuna from several European countries is significantly contaminated with mercury.
"Canned tuna on the Italian market," continues Ancit, "complies with European Union legislation on food safety and for the possible presence of mercury meets the legal requirements imposed by the European Union.

Mercury is a metal released into the environment both from natural sources and as a result of human activity. Consequently, traces of mercury (including its organic form, called methyl-mercury), may be present in fish products, as in other foodstuffs, the association explains: "As regards the muscle of several fish species, including tuna, the maximum levels allowed by the European Union (hence Italy) are set by EU Regulation 915/2023 at 1 mg of mercury per kg of fresh weight. These limits are more restrictive than those established internationally by the Codex Alimentarius for tuna (1.2 mg/kg for methylmercury alone)'.

Ancit then points out that the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) states that 'fish consumption in the range of 2-4 servings per week provides net health benefits, regardless of the risk from exposure to methylmercury'.

"From 2019 to 2023, we conducted sampling campaigns referring to the mercury limits set by the EU and involving numerous canned tuna samples taken in common retail outlets," says Paolo Cozzolino, director general of the Ssica Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Conserve Alimentari di Parma - None of these samples exceeded the regulation's limit and the average value found was less than 0.2 mg/Kg, therefore less than one fifth of the maximum tolerable value.

'Finally,' continues the Ancit note, 'compliance with legislation is guaranteed by official controls carried out by Italian and EU public authorities, along the entire chain, from catching to marketing, such as to ensure maximum levels of healthiness and safety. In addition, Ancit companies adopt a very shrewd procurement policy that allows them to select the best raw materials'.