How Much Tuna Is Safe To Eat?

You may have seen this recent New York Times article which, once again, asks the question of how much tuna is safe to eat. The article rightly points out that, with seafood from untraceable global industrial supply chains, there is reason to be cautious about mercury levels in larger fish like tuna. Fortunately for Skipper Otto members, you know a lot more about your tuna than many shoppers! And the good news is that the CFIA has tested BC Albacore tuna and deemed the mercury levels to be safe. The province of BC even recommends that such low levels of mercury in BC albacore tuna mean there are no limits on how much of it you can eat. Why is that you may ask?

Heavy metals like mercury bioaccumulate over time in fish that eat smaller fish in the food chain. So the highest levels of mercury exist in the largest, oldest predatory fish. Albacore tuna caught in BC are younger and smaller than most tuna species including albacore caught in the south pacific. Albacore tuna come to BC to feed when they are earlier in their life cycle, so they are richer in nutritious oils and also lower in bioaccumulated toxins than south pacific albacore. So if you know that your albacore tuna was caught in the north Pacific ocean, like ours at Skipper Otto, you can feel confident it is safe.

Research also shows that nothing has really changed in the last 20 years with regards to heavy metal toxins in tuna which is both good news and bad news: the good news is that mercury levels don’t seem to be going up, in part thanks to efforts in recent decades to reduce marine pollution. The bad news is that, once they are there, like the heavy metals that were introduced to the ocean since the industrial revolution, they tend to stick around in ecosystems for a long time. So concerns about mercury in large predatory fish will likely be around for a long time, and we’ll continue to see articles like this recent New York Times story cropping up in our newsfeeds.

While I’m no scientist, I believe strongly in science-based decision-making. So, a few years ago, we asked this scientist and nutritionist to research and write an article on the safety of eating Skipper Otto tuna. Since research shows that little has changed in the past 20 years, we feel confident still highlighting her recommendations on  why it’s not only safe but also an extremely healthy choice to eat BC albacore tuna regularly.

As the New York Times article also highlights, “tuna is about as nutritious as a food can be.” It is high in omega-3s, selenium, protein, and vitamin D. Whether it’s staving off heart disease and brain deterioration, or ensuring optimal fetal and childhood development, you can’t beat the benefits of tuna. So celebrate that you know where your seafood comes from and stock up on tuna loins and canned tuna with confidence as you’re meal planning this weekend!

Written by: Sonia Strobel