According to a Consumer's Union study, canned tuna is off the menu for pregnant women due to elevated levels of mercury commonly found in the product. The report follows a 2005 Chicago Tribune investigation that shed light on the inclusion of high mercury species in canned tuna.
How serious are the risks?
"This is important information that women need to hear," said Jean Halloran, the director of food policy at Consumers Union and a member of an FDA advisory panel on mercury in seafood. "We think that high exposures, even for a day or two, could be too much of a risk."
Is it just tuna?
Consumer Reports also advises pregnant women to steer clear of Chilean sea bass, halibut, American lobster and Spanish mackerel.
The findings come as no surprise to Environmental Working Group, who's been investigating mercury in seafood since 1997.
Disqus Comments
