Wild Planet Releases Mercury Test Results

The principles of Wild Planet within the production company, Carvalho Fisheries, pioneered the production of Minimal Mercury Albacore Tuna in 2003.

Since then, numerous West Coast producers of micro-cannery albacore have claimed that their product is low in mercury. Indeed, the Oregon State University study confirms that all North Pacific albacore is low in mercury compared to FDA test results of national brand albacore on grocery store shelves. The lower mercury content is due to the younger age of the troll-caught fish landed in California, Oregon and Washington. These fish are generally from three to five years in age, weighing 9 to 25 pounds. This compares with the much older, overseas long-line-caught fish, which are up to 15 years old and can weigh 40 to 70 pounds.

Consumers may conclude that these are the two choices in albacore. However, there is another choice.

Wild Planet desires to produce albacore tuna with the lowest possible levels of mercury. It has tested its fish extensively. These tests are now being published for the first time in harmony with Wild Planet’s full disclosure policy. They show that even among the “low mercury” North Pacific troll-caught fish; there is a range of mercury content variation. Wild Planet divides its troll-caught fish into two categories:

1) Three-year-old fish weighing 9-12 pounds and
2) Four to five-year-old fish weighing 13 to 25 pounds.

For two years, Wild Planet has processed these two groups of fish separately. They have been tested separately for mercury and yield measurably different results as seen below.

Three-year-old fish test results table – Wild Planet Minimal Mercury Albacore54 samples range 0.06-0.22 ppm mean (average) - 0.129 ppm

Four and five-year-old fish test results table – Wild Planet Low Mercury Albacore
36 samples range 0.06-0.30 ppm mean (average) - 0.26 ppm

FDA test results – National Brands
172 samples range ND-0.85 ppm mean (average) - 0.358 ppm

The brands of albacore and light tuna tested by the FDA vary greatly in their mercury concentrations. Consumers are subject to a kind of “mercury roulette” when they select a can from a grocery store shelf. This is because there is no way to know the age of the fish in each individual can. Any can holds the potential of a much higher dose of mercury than the FDA test average.

Wild Planet has narrowed the variance of mercury content within its two product lines. The smallest variance is within the Minimal Mercury product. Consumers can educate themselves on the EPA reference dose recommendation for their body weight*. They can then calculate how many ounces of Minimal Mercury Albacore they can consume and remain within EPA exposure limits. If a consumer uses Albacore lightly in his or her diet, Low Mercury Albacore would probably fall within EPA guidelines.

Minimal Mercury was conceived of and produced for Bill Carvalho’s (President of Wild Planet) immediate family. They were avid consumers of Albacore tuna, consuming up to 300 cans annually. Since the development of Minimal Mercury Albacore they still use Albacore generously in their diet. Knowing that all the fish used in Minimal Mercury Albacore are the smallest and youngest of the harvest gives all informed consumers the assurance that they are consuming the very safest albacore available.

*EPA reference dose is 0.7 micrograms per kg of body weight per week. (link)
(Note: the EPA reference dose provides a ten-fold safety factor.

One ounce of Minimal Mercury Albacore averages 3.8 micrograms of mercury.

One ounce of Low Mercury Albacore averages 7 micrograms of mercury.

One ounce of National Brand Albacore averages 10 micrograms of mercury.

If a child of 50 pounds were served albacore from a national brand with a 0.72 ppm mercury content, the child would reach the EPA reference dose for the week with just three quarters of one ounce, about one-third of a tuna sandwich.

In summary, Wild Planet is not trumping up food safety issues relative to mercury in seafood. We have simply reacted to the scientific community and regulatory agencies’ published findings that have alerted consumers to the need for caution and education. We have produced products that allow consumers to measure their mercury exposure, and thus make informed personal decisions as to their nutritional choices. Our goal is to assist them to continue deriving the maximum health benefit from wild seafood with the confidence that they can do so safely.