Pregnant women should not eat tuna

Pregnant women should not eat tuna.

(21.10.2010) Since tuna is often contaminated with lead, mercury and cadmium, pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants should only consume small amounts of tuna, according to a statement in the current issue of the Austrian consumer magazine "Konsument".

Heavy metal contamination in all samples
The investigation of the Association for Consumer Information (VKI), the test magazine „consumer“ have shown that when it comes to eating tuna, caution should be exercised, not only with regard to the processed species. Lead and cadmium were detected in all the tuna samples tested, albeit always below the allowable limit. For cadmium, however, the permissible limits are exhausted by up to 72 percent. Not without problems, because the element is suspected of having a carcinogenic effect.

For health, however, especially the mercury pollution of tuna fish is a real problem. Although the limit values ​​are not exceeded in any sample, but the toxic heavy metal accumulates in the body over time. Therefore, risk groups such as pregnant women, nursing women or infants should generally not consume large quantities of tuna. „Even if it is surprising: Here you better reach for the can than fresh tuna. Because mainly hardly loaded with mercury tuna species such as skipjack and yellowfin tuna and smaller fish, "said nutritionist from VKI, Birgit Beck to the „The standard“. In addition, some of the samples showed high levels of histamine. These are also still within the limits, „However, anyone who suffers from histamine intolerance should rather avoid tuna. Even small amounts of histamine can lead to pseudoallergic reactions, "says the nutritionist from the VKI.

Many species of tuna threatened with extinction
Also problematic, not from a health point of view but from a nature conservation point of view, is the processing of partly endangered species and bycatch in fishermen's nets. Since the indication of the processed tuna species as well as the indication of the catch area is voluntary, sees „Transparency for customers (...) certainly different ", explained the sustainability expert from VKI, Peter Blazek. „Consumers should at least have the opportunity to opt for the consumption of less endangered species of tuna. In terms of labeling, there is therefore still need for action. "Tuna is one of the most endangered fish species, with annual production increasing tenfold to around five million tonnes over the past 50 years, despite declining stocks. (Fp)