European Union released serious health warning regarding the game yellowfin tuna (Tunnus albacares) sold in Spain with very high mercury content. This product is sold not only in our country. It is also exported to other countries, such as Italy, where the alert that triggered the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) alert came from.
And it is the Italian health authorities who routine analysis, discovered a dose of mercury in fish 1.7 ± 0.4 mg/kg. The maximum allowable amount is 1mg/kgso it’s way overdone.
Yellowfin tuna, also called light tunais the second most famous in Spain after Bluefin tuna. This is actually the one that is usually sold in cans. In this case, the contaminated batch was sold as fresh and marinated fish loins. So, in addition to running health warningThe affected batch has been removed from supermarkets and fishmongers. If you recently purchased yellowfin tuna loin and have questions, please contact the establishment where you purchased it.
Mercury is often found in tuna
Mercury is actually found in tuna it won’t be long at all. The health alert was triggered not because of their presence, but because quantity in which he is located.
This substance usually comes from industrial emissions, so from there it ends up in the soil and atmosphere. However, both wastewater and rainwater and runoff carry it to the sea, where accumulates over time. Small fish swallow it, and big fish swallow many small fish. Therefore, the largest amount of mercury is found in large fish, such as tuna.
European health authorities have calculated the amount of mercury that is not generally considered harmful to health. Therefore, if this value is exceeded, an alert must be sent.
Health alert worked well
Every time there is a health alert, we panic. How can contaminated food enter the distribution chain? Well, it’s true that ideally they wouldn’t do that. What is certain, however, is that if they launch quickly, the system works well. By collaborating with health authorities in different countries, it is much easier to detect a problem during a routine inspection and raise the alarm before the problem gets worse.
Therefore, a health warning should be considered as an indication of the correct functioning of the system used in the food industry. However, some units may have been sold; so if you have any suspicions, do not hesitate to consult them, and if not, contact get rid of the fish. Throwing away food is a bad idea, but if there is any doubt about its safety, it is more than justified.
Source: Hiper Textual
