But that could all change this month. A new tuna manufacturer called Safe Catch, slated to launch its sustainably-sourced canned varieties in late January, will actually be the first of its kind test every single fish it uses for mercury levels before a tuna gets anywhere near a can. “This is the first high-speed mercury testing that’s been integrated into the seafood supply chain to test every fish proactively,” says Safe Catch CEO, Sean Wittenberg. MORE: 3 Ways To Cook Fish So It Doesn’t Smell Right now, other manufacturers rarely test their tuna for mercury. Some companies, such as Wild Planet, do try to limit mercury content in their products in other ways—they only use younger, lighter fish (9 to 25 pounds), which are naturally lower in mercury, as mercury accumulates in fish as they age. Other companies, however, simply use what they can get. “Generally, the only time a fish gets tested is to maybe satisfy an insurance claim or an import regulation, so maybe once a year,” says Wittenberg. “But we’re testing thousands of fish a day.” The test, which is proprietary to Safe Catch, relies on a tool that takes a small tissue sample—about twice the size of a grain of rice—from a fish after it’s unloaded from the ship. The sample is then analyzed for mercury in a machine in just under a minute. This determines what fish tuna manufacturers will purchase. “Our mercury standards are 70% below the FDA’s mercury limit for albacore, and 90% below their limit for skipjack tuna,” says Wittenberg. Because of its lower mercury levels (no more than 0.1 parts per million in a can), Safe Catch’s skipjack tuna (often referred to as “chunk light”) will be the only product on the market, once available, to meet Consumer Reports’ criteria for “low mercury,” a standard pure enough for pregnant women and small children. Safe Catch’s products will be available at safecatch.com by the end of the month and in retailers nationwide later this year. For other low-mercury seafood options, or information on how much conventional canned tuna you can safely eat, check out this this chart from Consumer Reports. MORE: Confused About Buying Fish? You Won’t Be After This.
