High mercury in fish is main food safety hazard
Photo: Jason Borg
A high concentration of mercury was reported in fish, particularly swordfish, making it Malta’s biggest food health hazard last year, according to an EU report.
Although mercury is found in almost all fish and shellfish, high concentrations are normally associated with sea pollution.
Malta last year filed 27 notifications related to possible health hazards during market surveillance, according to the annual report of the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
High concentration of mercury, which is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, was the main hazard, followed by taste disturbance in imported nuts and seeds, plastic fragments found in prepared dishes and snacks and larvae infestations in cereals and bakery products.
Although Malta filed more than twice as many notifications in 2011 compared to 2010, a spokesman for the Food Safety Commission, responsible for inspecting food products placed on the Maltese market, said there was no cause for panic.
“There is absolutely no reason for any alarm and the food we consume is generally safe. Although it is true that in 2011 we had many more notifications than the norm, there is no specific reason for this. In some other years, notifications were even higher,” the spokesman said.
Asked whether the high mercury levels in swordfish was worrying, sources close to the Fisheries Department played down the issue: “It is not rare that certain species of fish that are long-lived and high on the food chain, such as tuna and swordfish, contain higher concentrations of mercury than others.”
Although it was correct to state that pollution was increasing in the Mediterranean basin, incidents were still rare, the sources said.
According to the RASFF report, more than 9,000 notifications related to non-compliance with EU-food legislation were reported in the EU last year.
China was the main source of contaminated food and feed, followed by India and Turkey.
Some of the most reported issues were connected with migration of chemical substances from kitchen utensils made in China.
The EU has the toughest food safety regulations in the world.
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A.f Ellul
Jul 27th 2012, 20:47
Jiena ma tantx inhobbu l-hut,imma issa qed tghiduli biex ma nieklux ghax ghandu il-merkurju.ma nistax nifhem.jiena nahseb li il-bahar mediterranju huwa ik-kontaminat bil-veleni kollha.
John Neville Ebejer
Jul 27th 2012, 19:07
What exactly is the message supposed to be?!? Is it or is it not a health threat? if not why define it this way? What are the levels reported? what is the tolerance limit? What is the percentage of samples taken which represent excess of this limit - if any?
Do we have a right to know where we stand or do we get big brother's word for it ? why don't you publish the results in such a way as to be comprehensible by the layman so that he makes his own decisions on how much he likes to risk alarm himself or whatever? Can we have some good reportage and subject research please?
Mark Caruana
Jul 27th 2012, 15:52
As long as it is good I will eat it. I simply don't care. One only lives once. We have to go sometime by some way and as long as I am here I will eat the best the world can offer. Fish is one of them. To be honest this is alarming news which is in vain and does no good at all. When there was mad cow disease there was a ban of British Beef. The best BBQ I have in my life was in Scotland burning succulent prime British Beef which due to that was ridiculously cheap at the time. Buon Apetit ........
Mr Alexander Azzopardi
Jul 27th 2012, 15:35
Miskin min ghandu hanut tal hut!!
Philip Grech
Jul 27th 2012, 15:12
We have contaminated fish; we have lots of blue flag beaches; Very easy--put underwater direction signs for the fish to go to these beaches.
Franco Abela
Jul 27th 2012, 14:45
ACCORDING TO THE CANADIAN HEALTH AUTHORITIES.....
Canadians are advised to limit consumption of fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, escolar, marlin, and orange roughy. In general, you can eat up to 150 g per week of these fish species combined.
However, women who are or may become pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can eat up to 150 g per month.
Young children between 5 and 11 years of age can eat up to 125 g per month.
Very young children between 1 and 4 years of age should eat no more than 75 g per month of these fish species.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/environ/mercur/merc_fish_qa-poisson_qr-eng.php#ca2
Charles Grixti
Jul 27th 2012, 22:59
Franco, even the farmed fish is full of poisons, especially that which comes from China - full of Malachite. This products is shipped and packaged in Canada under a Canadian label. The health authorities know about it but had adopted a 'wait and see' attitude about it. Also, many frozen fish is mislabelled in Canada and sold under a different name. Frozen shrimps and prawns also come from the far east but little is know what standards, if any are being used in the farming of these foodstuffss. Bon Apetitite indeed.
PS: Even farmed Salmon does not have the texture or taste of the natural fish and it is full of antibiotics and other chemicals. The flesh is coloured to customer's specifications before it is sent to market.
Franco Abela
Jul 27th 2012, 14:42
NO WONDER CANCER IS INCREASING....
WE EAT FISH... WE GET MERCURY
WE EAT MEAT - WE GET ANTIBIOTICS AND HORMONES
WE EAT FRUITS AND VEGS - WE GET PESTICIDES AND ALL THE CHEMICALS TO MAKE FRUITS APPEAR SHINY
WE EAT OTHER FOOD - WE GET ALL THE PRESERVATIVES, FLAVOUR ENHANCERS, ETC
WE BREATH AIR - WE GET POLLUTION
AND WE ARE ALLARMED WHY CANCER IS ON THE INCREASE! I WONDER WHY!
Helen Cassar
Jul 27th 2012, 14:17
So, please can anybody tell us if all this mercury has any connection with the increase of cancer?
Victor Rodenas
Jul 27th 2012, 14:56
Do not hold your breath for an answer.Your answer is on the Internet,..find it.
C Cassar
Jul 27th 2012, 15:00
the increase in cancer rate in Malta are probably due to the inactivity and obesity of the local population. restricting car usage will encourage more physical activity. The second reason is diet. The Maltese are the only nation in the Mediterranean not to consume a generally Mediterranean diet. Too much fast food, too much unhealthy local food such as pastizzi, pies, sweets, cakes etc.
Thos two factors have a far greater influence on cancer rates than some mercury in fish.
Pule' Carmel
Jul 27th 2012, 13:39
Under the circumstances where I do have to eat food of unknown origin I think I better look at it in this manner.
If I eat very healthy food, one day I am going to be very surprised laying on a bed, dying of nothing! At least if I eat this food on which I have no choice but to eat, they when I lay in bed dying, I would at least know what caused me to die!
This modern living is getting very interesting. I just wonder about the economics of it all. How much would it cost the nation to ensure that we have very good food and how much would it cost Mater Dei to look after us if everything remains as is. I think it would cost us more to engage in getting better food!
I remember at Siggiewi in 1940 with my mother raising a few chickens, rabbits and some tomatoes.
She used Qamherrun, and no glasshouses and no artificialities. The taste of eggs was excellent and the tomatoese had a wonderful taste, and the fish and the artikli I caught from Vittoriosa tased so good.
I know that the taste of food depends on the feed and the fertilisers and insecticides given but it seems that vegitables and fruits grown in natural sunlight have a better taste. Am I correct in this?
Joseph Grech Attard
Jul 27th 2012, 12:21
What's worrying as well is that, if the Mediterranean is becoming more polluted, what is SERIOUSLY bieng done about it? We have been told that our sea water is one of the safest. But is it the safest in a list of areas that are bad, as our economy? Besides fishing, our sea has to be one of the safest when compared to a list of safe areas, because of our largest source of income - tourism.
Charles Grixti
Jul 27th 2012, 23:10
It seems to me that the choice facing humans is clear. We have to decide between a less densley populated planet and good wholesome foods or a heavily overpopulated planet with polluted food and GM food grown artificially, void of nutrients and taste and full of pesticides and residual chemicals from industries.
The top 1% favour the latter as they stand to gain the most but they do not have to eat the same foods that we do. The rest, that is us, the remaining 99% should choose the former if we had any sense and knew what was good for us and our children - but then we are controlled via the media and no one is able to make an informed decision and influence politicians, who after all are the ones that set policy. Right now the politicains are playing in the Corporate court and do not really care of what lesser mortals eat or even if they eat or not.
M Cassar
Jul 27th 2012, 12:21
Now I don't know about you but here is where a comment from the Health information unit would have been appropriate! Some of the info which one would expect them to provide would have been a practical interpretation of this info, such as what recommended consumption for local fish would be, by the size or position on the food chain.
Good to keep in mind that other sources, UK and US ones, recommend eating fish once or twice a week but of course they are probably not taking the mediterranean level of pollution into consideration. So what is the Maltese consumer to do considering that the article does not specify what 'high level' translates to or what fish it is specifically referring to. Seems to be a Maltese trait this, saying something without actually saying anything specific.......
Manuel Briffa
Jul 27th 2012, 12:07
This is all we need. Meat is bad for you, Fruit & vegetables are contaminated by pesticides...and now fish is to be avoided too. What on earth are we supposed to live on, thin air...even that's heavily contaminated!
edgar rossignaud
Jul 27th 2012, 12:02
In the circumstances highlighted by Ivan Camilleri, and in view that swordfish in particular is a very popular steak fish in Malta, I believe that a statement by the Health Department is the least we should expect.
Lina Caruana
Jul 27th 2012, 11:21
Maybe what I had considered as an allergy in swordfish is really a higher concentration of mercury.
N. Agius
Jul 27th 2012, 11:20
Unfortunately mercury and other heavy metals can lead to mental conditions. Pregnant women should stay away completely.
Victor Rodenas
Jul 27th 2012, 11:17
Mercury and other toxic waste is transferred into the sea by rivers so factories bordering rivers pollute.Small fish around Malta that are not migratory do not have mercury in them, but swordfish and tuna can have.Dolphin fish (lampuki) do not live long enough so as mercury to have effect on them.Clams,oysters ,sea urchins,...because they stay in the same spot or move very little can accumulate poison if the area ,their habitat, is polluted.
P Sciberras
Jul 27th 2012, 11:16
Very good and usefull information Ivan. More information regarding Tuna fish this time. Recently,radioactive contaminated tuna from the Fukushima meltdown,was found near the coast of California after a 6000 miles swim from Japan.As everybody knows Malta imports nearly all its tinned tuna from that part of the world. For the public information,has any study been conducted by the EU regarding this news,so we do not have any doubts about this incident.
Joe A. Borg
Jul 27th 2012, 10:50
Our food is killing us slowly.
Asked whether the high mercury levels in swordfish was worrying, sources close to the Fisheries Department played down the issue: “It is not rare that certain species of fish that are long-lived and high on the food chain, such as tuna and swordfish, contain higher concentrations of mercury than others.”
Why is the Fisheries Department playing down the issue, are they there to protect the fisherman only or the consumer as well?
C Cassar
Jul 27th 2012, 10:59
Simple, don't eat fish from the Mediterranean. There's no excuse for fishermen bringing in these catches knowing that they are polluted. Selfish greed does come to mind.
Edward Mallia
Jul 27th 2012, 14:11
The Fisheries Department statement is a model of official obfuscation. We all know that "long-lived fish high on the food chain contain higher concentrations of mercury than others". The real point is the actual concentration of mercury. But in a way the Fisheries Department gave you the solution Mr. Borg. Buy the baby sword fish frequently seen on the market; one negative parameter, that of age, will be missing. The levels of mercury will be lower than those in an adult swordfish. Whether they will be low enough to do you positive good -- not likely as mercury is not a "biological" substance -- no doubt the Fisheries Department will have another sample of tortuous statement with which to enlighten us.
Matthew Farrugia
Jul 27th 2012, 10:44
Recently I have dived with gigantic tuna and it is true that they sometimes weigh more then 100kg perhaps due to the size mercury is more present ... have a look at some pictures during this dive http://matfar.co.uk/?portfoliocpt=tuna-farms
victor bonello
Jul 27th 2012, 12:46
before the Mediterranean was over fished, it was common ( up to 10 years ago) for blue fin to weigh more then 400 kilos not just 100.
As stated by Watson of Sea Warrior, due to the greed of political persons involved, fish farmers have been allowed to deplete the sea from this magnificent fish..
C Cassar
Jul 27th 2012, 10:00
This has been known for years. Large fish that are alive for years always accumulate toxins and heavy metals. I stopped eating fish caught in the Mediterranean (where concentrations are much higher) years ago.
Please choose the reason of your report below: