Children should be consuming considerably less canned tuna, otherwise their risk of serious mercury poisoning could become a public health issue in years to come, the Mercury Policy Project explained in a report issued yesterday.

The authors added that albacore tuna should never be given to children.

Children should not consume light tuna more than once per month if they weigh less than 55 pounds. Even kids weighing over 55 pounds should not eat tuna more than twice a month, the report stated.

In the USA, 52% of canned tuna is used for making sandwiches, 22% for salads, and 15% for other uses, such as casseroles, pasta dishes, and dried packaged meal mixes.

Most Americans have detectable levels of mercury in their blood, says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). According to WHO (World Health Organization), mercury levels in American people are considerably higher than in Western Europeans. The European Union tends to have stricter regulations regarding food and drink.

A member of the consumer group in the coalition that makes up The Mercury Policy Project, Sarah Klein, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said:

“Today we unfortunately have to bring consumers a warning about tuna. Despite its popularity, it should be a rare meal for children.”

59 samples of tuna from 11 different US states were tested, the authors explained. The tuna was bought in 4-pound cans or foil packages from catering companies that supply schools, or directly from the schools themselves.