Canned tuna do worse than surimi, according to 60 million consumers. Heavy metals, bones and organs have been found in several products.
“Tuna is good”. This advertisement from the 1970s has visibly left its mark in the unconscious of the French, who consume more than three kilos per year *, almost exclusively canned (94% of the value of purchases *). The magazine 60 million consumers analyzed fifteen cans of tuna from different brands, and the findings are quite alarming. In addition to the presence of organs and edges that had nothing to do with it, the association reports high levels of heavy metals, often above the authorized limit values.
All the cans tested contained mercury, cadmium and arsenic “in very variable concentrations depending on the references”. For mercury, three products exceeded half of the maximum authorized dose (Petit Navire, Capitaine Nat ‘and Odyssée d’Intermarché). For arsenic, Captain Nat ‘contained 1.7 mg / kg, six times more than the Carrefour box, for example.
Price is not always a good indicator of quality
Other items that had nothing to do with canned tuna fillets were also found. Edges, in particular, were present in five of the fifteen references, in varying amounts. Heart and oocytes were also found in four products (Saupiquet, Pêche Océan from Leclerc, Casino and Cora). A little worrying presence, because these elements are not dangerous, but not engaging either.
Surprisingly, it is not always the most expensive products that have obtained the highest marks in the ranking of the magazine of the National Institute of Consumption (INC). Leader Price, Carrefour and Lidl products (less than 8 euros per kilo) form the top three with a low presence of heavy metals and good fish quality. Conversely The Capitaine Nat and especially Saupiquet brands, respectively four and three times more expensive, are however much lower in the ranking.
Good news in the field of endocrine disruptors: no trace of bisphenol A was detected in the boxes. The composition of their internal coating could however still contain some.
The scam of Saint-Jacques
Besides the tins of tuna, 60 million consumers is interested in other seafood products. Sushi, surimi, scallops. Overall, no worries about the Japanese specialties, which are all microbiologically healthy.
Often singled out for the composition of surimis, manufacturers seem to have made an effort, particularly in terms of transparency. One product in particular stands out, that of Monoprix, which contains 49% fish (a record!).
One product also caught the attention of journalists: the scallop. A (forbidden) technique is often used to inflate fish fillets, their weight and therefore their profitability: soaking. It consists of soaking the products in water, and possibly additives. Of the twelve frozen scallops tested, five brands clearly used this technique. The donkey hat returns to the Our regions have talent brand (Leclerc), closely followed by Costa, one of the most expensive products in the panel. Costa had nevertheless had the decency to indicate on the package the presence of water, an exception …
FranceAgriMer data (Establishment of agricultural and seafood products)
food insecurity
