Wild
Planet Releases Mercury Test Results
The
principles of Wild Planet
within the production company, Carvalho Fisheries, pioneered
the production of Minimal Mercury Albacore Tuna in 2003.
Since
then, numerous West Coast producers of micro-cannery
albacore have claimed that their product is low in mercury.
Indeed, the Oregon State University study confirms that
all North Pacific albacore is low in mercury compared
to FDA test results of national brand albacore on grocery
store shelves. The lower mercury content is due to the
younger age of the troll-caught fish landed in California,
Oregon and Washington. These fish are generally from
three to five years in age, weighing 9 to 25 pounds.
This compares with the much older, overseas long-line-caught
fish, which are up to 15 years old and can weigh 40
to 70 pounds.
Consumers
may conclude that these are the two choices in albacore.
However, there is another choice.
Wild
Planet
desires to produce albacore tuna with the lowest possible
levels of mercury. It has tested its fish extensively.
These tests are now being published for the first time
in harmony with Wild Planet's full disclosure policy.
They show that even among the "low mercury"
North Pacific troll-caught fish; there is a range of
mercury content variation. Wild Planet divides its troll-caught
fish into two categories:
1)
Three-year-old fish weighing 9-12 pounds and
2) Four to five-year-old fish weighing 13 to 25 pounds.
For
two years, Wild Planet
has processed these two groups of fish separately. They
have been tested separately for mercury and yield measurably
different results as seen below.
Three-year-old
fish test results table - Wild Planet Minimal
Mercury Albacore |
54 samples |
range 0.06-0.22
ppm |
mean (average)
- 0.129 ppm |
|
Four
and five-year-old fish test results table - Wild
Planet Low Mercury Albacore |
36
samples |
range
0.06-0.30 ppm |
mean
(average) - 0.26 ppm |
|
FDA
test results - National Brands |
172
samples |
range
ND-0.85 ppm |
mean
(average) - 0.358 ppm |
|
|
Click
on Graph to Enlarge |
The
brands of albacore and light tuna tested by the FDA
vary greatly in their mercury concentrations. Consumers
are subject to a kind of "mercury roulette"
when they select a can from a grocery store shelf. This
is because there is no way to know the age of the fish
in each individual can. Any can holds the potential
of a much higher dose of mercury than the FDA test average.
Wild
Planet
has narrowed the variance of mercury content within
its two product lines. The smallest variance is within
the Minimal Mercury product.
Consumers can educate themselves on the EPA reference
dose recommendation for their body weight*. They can
then calculate how many ounces of Minimal
Mercury Albacore they can consume and remain
within EPA exposure limits. If a consumer uses Albacore
lightly in his or her diet, Low
Mercury Albacore would probably fall within EPA
guidelines.
Minimal
Mercury
was conceived of and produced for Bill Carvalho's (President
of Wild Planet) immediate family. They were avid consumers
of Albacore tuna, consuming up to 300 cans annually.
Since the development of Minimal
Mercury Albacore they still use Albacore generously
in their diet. Knowing that all the fish used in Minimal
Mercury Albacore are the smallest and youngest of the
harvest gives all informed consumers the assurance that
they are consuming the very safest albacore available.
*EPA
reference dose is 0.7 micrograms per kg of body weight
per week. (link)
(Note: the EPA reference dose provides a ten-fold safety
factor.)
One
ounce of Minimal Mercury Albacore averages 3.8
micrograms of mercury |
A
person weighing 100 pounds has an EPA weekly dose
allowance of 8 ounces.
A 150-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 12 ounces.
A 200-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 16 ounces.
A child weighing 50 pounds would have a weekly dose
allowance of 4 ounces. |
One
ounce of Low Mercury Albacore averages 7 micrograms
of mercury |
A
person weighing 100 pounds has an EPA weekly dose
allowance of 4.5 ounces.
A 150-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 6.8 ounces.
A 200-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 9 ounces.
A child weighing 50 pounds would have a weekly dose
allowance of 2.3 ounces. |
One
ounce of National Brand Albacore averages 10 micrograms
of mercury |
A
person weighing 100 pounds has an EPA weekly dose
allowance of 3 ounces.
A 150-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 4.7 ounces.
A 200-pound person would have a weekly dose allowance
of 6 ounces. |
A
child weighing 50 pounds would have a weekly dose allowance
of 1.5 ounces.If a child of 50 pounds were served albacore
from a national brand with a 0.72 ppm mercury content,
the child would reach the EPA reference dose for the
week with just three quarters of one ounce, about one-third
of a tuna sandwich.
In
summary, Wild Planet is
not trumping up food safety issues relative to mercury
in seafood. We have simply reacted to the scientific
community and regulatory agencies' published findings
that have alerted consumers to the need for caution
and education.
We
have produced products that allow consumers to measure
their mercury exposure, and thus make informed personal
decisions as to their nutritional choices. Our goal
is to assist them to continue deriving the maximum health
benefit from wild seafood with the confidence that they
can do so safely.
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