French food NGO Bloom has published a report revealing mercury contamination in canned tuna sold across Europe.
Titled Toxic Tuna, the 66-page report published on October 29 accused the European Union of allowing hazardous levels of mercury in tinned tuna to flood the market, all while feigning concern for public health, it said.
“There’s no standardised method for measuring mercury levels in tuna, nor any consideration of the health implications for adults and children,” the report stated.
“Instead, the EU has adopted an approach that blatantly contradicts its duty to protect public health.
“They set mercury thresholds based on existing contamination, ensuring that a staggering 95 per cent of tuna remains marketable.”
Bloom’s report laid bare an unsettling reality: Thanks to lax regulations, manufacturers and retailers can legally sell mercury-laden tuna, creating a false sense of security for consumers, it said. “It’s an unforgivable lie with devastating consequences,” the group added.
The problem has extended beyond borders, with the Codex Alimentarius — a global food-standards body launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and World Health Organisation in 1963 — also seemingly influenced by the tuna lobby.
“The Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCCF), which oversees food contaminants, is chaired by the Netherlands, a heavyweight in the industrial fishing sector,” the report stated.
The NGO also denounced the fact that representatives from tuna-producing giants often sat on national delegations at CCCF meetings, whereas NGOs did not.
Bloom’s laboratory tests painted a negative picture: Allegedly, all 148 cans of tuna sampled from France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy contained mercury. Some cans contained levels four times higher than EU regulations allow, it said.
More than half of the cans tested – 57 per cent – exceeded the stringent EU maximum mercury limit of 0.3 mg/kg for fish.
Notably, one French brand, Petit Navire, purchased from a Carrefour City branch in Paris, reportedly showed a mercury content of 3.9 mg/kg — 13 times above the strictest standard of 1 mg for tuna, the report revealed.
When contacted by Brussels Signal on October 29, Petit Navire said it would “get back to us as soon as possible,” as the firm had just been made aware of the report.
With further requests for comment the French firm finally told Brussels Signal: “Consuming Petit Navire products is perfectly safe for consumers. The safety and well-being of our consumers is a top priority at Petit Navire” said Petit Navire press officer Cyrine Triki.
She emphasised the fact that Petit Navire respected the French and European mercury threshold regulations.
“We carry out monthly tests on our tuna species in our various supply zones, to check the conformity of the fish we buy and guarantee the safety of our products. These tests are carried out by or with the support of independent laboratories accredited by French and European health authorities,” she said.
“Over the last three years, we have carried out 270 controls. The results of these tests have never revealed mercury levels in excess of current European standards, averaging between 0.2 and 0.3 mg/kg, or 70 to 80 per cent of mercury levels” she added.
On October 24, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) issued an alert about mercury consumption.
It warned that high doses of methylmercury were particularly toxic to the developing human nervous system, urging consumers to limit fish intake to twice a week and avoid “wild predators” such as tuna.
The report also criticised what it called the EU’s insufficient testing of tuna.
“In Seychelles, a hub for tuna fishing for the European market, authorities conduct only a handful of tests each year, which is woefully inadequate given the millions of kilos of tuna shipped to Europe,” the NGO highlighted.
French authorities came under fire as well, with accusations of complacency regarding mercury contamination.
“The French government has turned a blind eye to the issue, blindly trusting the tuna industry and supermarkets. Since 2023, there have been no tests on canned tuna and fewer than fifty fresh tuna specimens have been analyzed,” Bloom asserted.
In a bid for action it, alongside NGO Foodwatch, has demanded public authorities enforce a strict mercury limit of 0.3 mg/kg for tuna, similar to regulations for other fish.
They have called for a ban on tuna products exceeding this limit in hospitals, nurseries, maternity wards, retirement homes and school canteens.
The two NGOs have also launched a petition urging supermarket chains to adopt “stricter controls”, halt tuna promotions and inform consumers about the health risks associated with mercury contamination.
As of writing, some 10,239 people have signed the petition, amplifying the call for urgent reform in the tuna industry.
