The Real Reason Why You Should Avoid Canned Tuna
Summary
TLDRThis video delves into the health risks associated with consuming canned tuna, a popular, convenient seafood choice. It highlights sustainability concerns, potential labor exploitation in the fishing industry, and the presence of mercury. The script also addresses the risk of scombrotoxin food poisoning and Bisphenol A (BPA) in cans. Healthline's advice on moderate consumption and checking for can integrity is shared. Alternatives like sardines and salmon are suggested for a healthier, sustainable option. The video encourages mindful selection of canned tuna to balance nutrition and safety.
Takeaways
- 🐟 Canned tuna is a quick, inexpensive, and nutritious option due to its low-fat, high-protein content, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- 🚫 Sustainability and potential labor misconduct in the supply chain are significant concerns with canned tuna.
- 🔍 The Seafood Watch's Seafood Slavery Risk Tool helps identify slavery practices in seafood supply chains and guides consumers towards sustainably-sourced tuna.
- ♻️ Look for Marine Stewardship Council certification on cans as an assurance of sustainable fishing practices.
- 🌡 Tuna is relatively high in mercury, so it's important to be mindful of consumption frequency and quantity.
- 🌊 Mercury enters the food chain through water, accumulating in fish and eventually in humans who consume them.
- ⚠️ Excessive mercury consumption can have severe health repercussions, but moderate tuna intake is generally safe.
- 🤒 Be cautious of scombrotoxin, a type of food poisoning that can occur from improperly handled tuna, causing allergic reactions in some individuals.
- 🏺 Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in some cans, may have potential health risks, including infertility and cancer, especially with high consumption.
- 🔍 Always check cans for dents, holes, or cracks before purchasing to minimize the risk of contamination.
- 🍽️ Alternatives to canned tuna include sardines, which are low in mercury and environmentally friendly, and Alaskan wild-caught salmon, which is sustainably sourced.
Q & A
Why is consuming too much canned tuna potentially harmful?
-Eating too much canned tuna can be harmful due to its relatively high mercury content, which can have negative effects on health if consumed in large amounts.
What are some of the sustainability concerns associated with canned tuna?
-Sustainability concerns with canned tuna include the potential for slavery, trafficking, and labor exploitation in the fishing industry, as well as questionable efforts to vet the labor supply chain.
How can consumers identify sustainably-sourced canned tuna?
-Consumers can identify sustainably-sourced canned tuna by looking for brands listed on the Seafood Watch's Seafood Slavery Risk Tool or cans marked as Marine Stewardship Council certified.
What is the significance of the Marine Stewardship Council certification on canned tuna?
-The Marine Stewardship Council certification indicates that the tuna is sustainably sourced, ensuring that it comes from a well-managed fishery that minimizes environmental impact.
How does mercury enter the food chain and why is it a concern in fish consumption?
-Mercury enters the food chain through water, as it is a naturally-occurring element in the earth's crust. It is released into the atmosphere and dissolves into seawater, where fish ingest it. High mercury levels in fish can be harmful to humans when consumed.
What is scombrotoxin and how is it related to canned tuna?
-Scombrotoxin is a type of food poisoning that occurs when tuna starts to spoil and produces a specific type of bacteria. It is caused by improper handling and can cause symptoms like a peppery taste, sweating, and dizziness.
What is Bisphenol A (BPA) and why might it be a concern in canned tuna?
-Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical sometimes found in the lining of cans. While the FDA claims that the levels of BPA in cans are not harmful, there are potential health effects like infertility, cancer, and heart disease that have been associated with BPA, especially with copious amounts of canned food consumption.
How can consumers ensure they are buying uncontaminated canned tuna?
-Consumers can ensure they are buying uncontaminated canned tuna by thoroughly checking cans for dents, holes, or cracks before purchase, and by discarding any cans with an off smell or color upon opening.
What are some alternative canned fish options that are low in mercury and sustainably sourced?
-Alternatives to canned tuna include sardines, which are low in mercury and have a low environmental impact, and canned Alaskan salmon, which is sustainably sourced from North American waters.
What precautions should be taken when preparing a meal with canned tuna to avoid health risks?
-When preparing a meal with canned tuna, one should ensure the can is not damaged, check for proper storage conditions to prevent spoilage, and be aware of the potential health risks associated with high mercury content and the presence of BPA.
Outlines
🐟 Canned Tuna: Health Risks and Sustainable Choices
This paragraph highlights the health risks associated with consuming excessive canned tuna, emphasizing its convenience and nutritional benefits but also discussing concerns like sustainability, labor exploitation in the fishing industry, and the presence of mercury. It advises consumers to look for Marine Stewardship Council certified cans or use the Seafood Slavery Risk Tool to make informed choices. Additionally, it touches on the risk of scombrotoxin food poisoning and the potential health effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) found in cans, suggesting thorough inspection before purchase.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Canned tuna
💡Sustainability
💡Mercury
💡Scombrotoxin
💡Bisphenol A (BPA)
💡Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
💡Seafood Watch
💡Supply chain labor misconduct
💡Omega-3 fatty acids
💡Sardines
💡Canned salmon
Highlights
Eating too much canned tuna can be detrimental to health.
Canned tuna is convenient, quick, inexpensive, and nutritious.
Canned tuna is a good source of low-fat, high-protein, and omega-3s.
Buying and cooking fresh fish can be intimidating; canned tuna offers a solution.
Sustainability and potential labor misconduct are concerns in the canned tuna industry.
Tuna fishing is a $42 billion industry with questionable labor supply chain practices.
Seafood Watch provides a Seafood Slavery Risk Tool for businesses and consumers.
Look for Marine Stewardship Council certified cans for sustainably-sourced tuna.
Tuna is relatively high in mercury compared to other fish.
Mercury in fish comes from the natural element in the earth's crust that dissolves into seawater.
Consuming too much mercury can have adverse health effects.
Scombrotoxin is a type of food poisoning that can occur in improperly handled tuna.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical sometimes found in cans, with potential health concerns.
Check cans for dents, holes, or cracks to reduce the risk of contamination.
If canned tuna smells or looks off, it should be discarded.
Sardines are a low-mercury, environmentally friendly, and nutritious alternative to tuna.
Canned salmon, especially Alaskan, is a sustainable and healthy option.
Canned tuna can be enjoyed in moderation with consideration for health and sustainability.
Transcripts
Did you know that eating too much canned tuna is actually bad for you?
Keep watching to learn more about the health risks of this type of cheap and accessible seafood.
A can of tuna checks a lot of boxes on a busy day, when you're in need of sustenance. It's quick,
inexpensive, and nutritious, thanks to its low-fat and high-protein content and
abundance of omega-3's. Also, let's be honest — buying fresh fish and cooking it can be
intimidating. The can solves that problem — with a quick flick of a can opener, you're in business.
It's not all smooth sailing for canned tuna, though. Sustainability and the potential for
supply chain labor misconduct are things to keep in mind when you're making the decision to buy
canned tuna. According to Reuters, slavery, trafficking, and labor exploitation are
widespread in the fishing industry. The outlet reported in 2019 that tuna fishing is a $42
billion industry. And efforts to vet the labor supply chain are, at times, questionable.
Seafood Watch has launched a Seafood Slavery Risk Tool that
helps businesses potentially identify slavery practices among their suppliers.
The site is also a resource for consumers seeking brands of sustainably-sourced canned tuna. So,
you may want to scan this list the next time you're cruising the canned fish aisle. Or,
you can just look for cans that are marked as Marine Stewardship Council certified.
Another point to consider when whipping up your next tuna casserole is the mercury content.
According to Healthline, tuna is relatively high in mercury, compared to other types of fish,
and you should be conscious of how much and how often you eat it. Eating fish every day
is touted as having many health benefits, from improved cardiovascular health to better sleep.
However, too much of certain types of fish can have negative effects on your well-being.
Mercury finds its way into the food chain through water. As a naturally-occurring element in the
earth's crust, mercury is released into the atmosphere and then dissolves into
seawater. While fish go about their days in the ocean, they ingest mercury which then
transfers to us when we eat them. The adverse effects of consuming too much mercury are scary,
but enjoying canned tuna in moderate amounts is generally safe.
"What the deuce are staring at? It's tuna fish, and nothing else."
In addition to the presence of mercury, there are other red flags to watch out for when it comes to
preparing a meal made with a can of tuna, such as the possibility of experiencing a certain type of
food poisoning called scombrotoxin. Scombrotoxin happens when a reaction occurs and the tuna starts
to go bad, producing a specific type of bacteria to which some people are allergic. The production
of this bacteria is caused by "improper handling" and found most prominently in tuna and mackerel.
Symptoms include tasting pepper, sweating, and dizziness. Another concern to be aware
of is the potential presence of a chemical called Bisphenol A, also known as BPA,
which is sometimes found in cans. While the FDA claims the levels of BPA in cans is not harmful,
its potential health effects, including the potential for infertility, cancer, and heart
disease are something to consider when eating copious amounts of canned food, per Eat This,
Not That! Additionally, Healthline recommends thoroughly checking cans of tuna before you buy
them for dents, holes, or cracks to reduce the likelihood of outside contamination.If
you open your can of tuna and find the smell or color isn't quite right, throw it away.
Canned tuna isn't your only option for a quick and easy fish dish. Just like your mom always said,
there are other fish in the sea! And some of them even come in cans.
Sardines, for example, are notably low in mercury, have a low environmental impact,
and are a nutritional powerhouse for your body, according to Lifehack. Despite their
stinky reputation, these shiny-scaled swimmers deserve way more than just a haphazard spot
on your pizza. The Kitchn has an entire post's worth of ideas on how they're not just an
underrated ingredient, but they're also quite luxurious. Saucy pasta with sardines, anyone?
Perhaps you're more into something less odorous but still impressively healthy — so try salmon!
Good Housekeeping suggests selecting canned salmon that is labeled as Alaskan,
which assures you it is wild-caught from North American waters and is sustainable. To be fair,
sometimes you just can't beat a good tuna salad sandwich. We think the enjoyment and convenience
is worth the extra few minutes of contemplation to make sure your canned tuna choice is a smart one.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Mashed videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
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