Mercury levels dangerously high in some tuna

[alicia-w]

LOS ANGELES - Sushi is more popular than ever before but eating it “has become the new Russian roulette” in terms of safety, a group campaigning against mercury in fish said Monday.

Eli Saddler of gotmercury.org, a campaign of California-based Sea Turtle Restoration Project, went to six top sushi restaurants in Los Angeles to test mercury levels in the fish they serve.

“The level of mercury in tuna these restaurants serve is so high they should be keeping this food off their lists,” Saddler said. “Eating sushi has become the new Russian roulette.”

Gotmercury.org proposes to take the study to various cities across the United States and educate sushi consumers on the risks of mercury intake, which can permanently damage the nervous system in fetuses and may cause temporary memory loss in adults.

Tuna samples from six popular sushi restaurants in Los Angeles were taken to a Southern California lab for testing.

They returned an average mercury level of 0.721 parts per million, about 88 percent higher than the reported Food and Drug Administration level of 0.383 ppm for all fresh and frozen tuna.

A couple of samples had mercury levels the FDA has declared ”unsafe for anyone to eat,” Saddler said.

Big-eyed tuna and blue and yellow-finned tuna are the most popular varieties used in sushi restaurants. Older and bigger fish are considered best suited for sushi but Saddler said it was not widely known that fish with longer lives carry more mercury than others.

Studies show seafood like shrimp and salmon with short life spans pose almost no risk of carrying mercury.

Nobi Kusuhara, owner of Sushi Sasabune in Los Angeles said even though the mercury level in the samples was higher than he expected, sushi is still healthy to eat.

“Even in Japan we have warnings out like FDA has issued here,” Kusuhara said. “As long as restaurants warn pregnant women and people to eat smaller fish, it is definitely safer and healthier than beef or chicken.”

Businesses with more than 10 employees are bound under California law to post a mercury-in-seafood warning if they serve or sell any seafood.

But Saddler said that, of the six restaurants checked, only one had an explicit sign posted on the door.

“There are cheap and easy ways to test fish, so it should be done in the United States to protect sushi consumers,” Saddler said.

[Pondbuilder]

I was pretty concerned about his because sushi is a passion until I saw who was pushing this agenda. Its a group known as gotmercury.org which on the face of it would appear to be legit. However upon further review it turns out its a group of animal activists who are trying to stop the netting of seagoing fish such as Tuna to protect turtles and dolphins.

That of itself is worthwhile but don't go raising alarmist issues for alterior motives.

[gtalum]

Additionally, mercury poisoning at these levels is only an issue for young children. It takes a seriously large mercury dose to cause problems in a healthy adult.

[alicia-w]

The FDA's levels are established to protect young children and pregnant women.

Here's a link to a good site for additional info:

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/effects.asp

About halfway down on the right side, there's a tool to help you determine if you are ingesting too much mercury.

[alicia-w]

Additionally, mercury poisoning at these levels is only an issue for young children. It takes a seriously large mercury dose to cause problems in a healthy adult.

so much for that:

Safe' mercury levels may harm adults

June 13 2003


Low levels of mercury regarded as safe could impair brain function and memory in adults, say US researchers.

A study of 129 men and women in Brazil, by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, found that the higher the level of mercury in their hair - a way to measure recent exposure - the more their memory and motor skills were impaired.

"The study has been dismissed as too small to be conclusive but, if it is right, mercury could be reducing the mental performance of millions of people worldwide," New Scientist magazine said.

Low levels of mercury are thought to be dangerous for infants and young babies because of fears they can cause damage to the nervous system.

Pregnant women are already advised not to eat fish such as tuna, shark and king mackerel, which may contain high levels of the compound.


Ellen Silbergeld, who conducted the study, said the exposure levels to mercury among the villagers were only a 10th of those considered dangerous for adults by the World Health Organisation (WHO), but still had a negative impact.

Some scientists have criticised the study as too small.

Ms Silbergeld said her findings merited further research.

"While the effect on each individual was small, she says, the overall impact on communities could be significant," the magazine added.

Reuters


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/ ... 04646.html

[alicia-w]

http://www.mercola.com/2003/jun/21/mercury_fish.htm

[gtalum]

One inconclusive study does not make a fact.

[alicia-w]

it's not an inconclusive study. it's one of many studies done that found the same thing, increasing levels of mercury in our food fish supply. Levels that are often dangerous to our health.