NGOs Bloom and Foodwatch on Tuesday announced in a press release that a dangerous concentration of mercury exceeding EU norms has been detected in tuna cans by 148 different brands. According to the statement, instances have been detected where the chemical compound at 3.9mg/kg significantly exceeds the EU norm of 1mg/kg.
The highest concentration levels were detected in tuna cans of French, English, and Spanish producers.
Since regular consumption may entail health risks for the central nervous system, both non-profits are urgently appealing to authorities to take action and prohibit the affected brands from schools, nurseries, and hospitals. Furthermore, they plead to decrease the permitted mercury levels in canned tuna to 0.3mg/kg, as well as an increase of required safety checks in the sector.
