girlgastronome

High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi - NY Times

Everyone who knows me well takes it for granted that I'm a hypochondriac. Well, now you can all quit giving me grief and thank me for saying "I told you so"! Case in point, after seeing articles here and there over the past couple of years about the dangers of mercury in tuna and other large fish, I've eliminated it from my diet for the most part. And in the event I needed any more positive reinforcement for one of my many neuroses, The Times published an article today that did just that!

"Tuna samples from the Manhattan restaurants Nobu Next Door, Sushi Seki, Sushi of Gari and Blue Ribbon Sushi and the food store Gourmet Garage all had mercury above one part per million, the “action level” at which the F.D.A. can take food off the market. (The F.D.A. has rarely, if ever, taken any tuna off the market.) The highest mercury concentration, 1.4 parts per million, was found in tuna from Blue Ribbon Sushi. The lowest, 0.10, was bought at Fairway."

It's really unfortunate that our world is so polluted that any of us should have to elimiate from our diets a food source that is otherwise chock full of health benefits. Given that fact that I'm still of child-bearing years and haven't decided whether or not to pull that trigger, I've determined it's not worth chancing it. I haven't been tested for mercury levels in my bloodstream but after reading this I probably should be as I've read that it takes the body a very long time to eliminate it. I have to believe that pollutants in our environment, and thus in our diets, are in part responsible for the recent escalation of psychological disorders such as autism. I couldn't live with myself if I thought my diet had something to do with any problem my offspring might have.

The article goes on to mention the tuna-eating guidelines as established by the FDA:

"Six pieces of sushi from most of the restaurants and stores would contain more than 49 micrograms of mercury. That is the amount the Environmental Protection Agency deems acceptable for weekly consumption over a period of several months by an adult of average weight, which the agency defines as 154 pounds. People weighing less are advised to consume even less mercury. The weight of the fish in the tuna pieces sampled by The Times were 0.18 ounces to 1.26 ounces."

So to be on the safe side, that equates to eating about 4 pieces of tuna sushi per week if that for someone of my size - and that's only if the FDA is to be trusted.

About the only good that can come of news like this is that maybe it will help slow the astonishing increase in demand for the Blue Fin tuna which is in serious danger of being overfished. Last week I happened to catch an excellent report on "60 Minutes" about the state of affairs in the Mediterranean. Not only is the fish itself dangerously close to disappearing forever, but so are centuries-old traditions and a way of life for a group of Italians whose families have depended on the fish for their livliehood over many generations. Now you have plenty to mull over the next time you find yourself craving that piece of Blue Fin toro.

Labels: Blue Fin tuna, FDA, mercury, sushi, tuna