I receive a few cat health & nutrition newsletters in my email every month. Just thought I would pass this info along for those who feed tuna/seafood cat canned foods.
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ALERT: New Tuna Warning!
It's well known that traces of mercury, PCBs, and other toxins can be found in seafood. But mercury may be more common, and at higher levels, than you think.
In a 2006 study by Landmark Laboratories of Benton Harbor, MI, led by Defenders of Wildlife, 164 cans of tuna from around the world were tested. The tuna from Latin America—especially Mexico and Ecuador—had the highest levels of mercury, sometimes 50 percent higher than what the U.S. government allows (1.0 ppm). Evidently, commercial fishermen in those countries target the largest and oldest tuna, which have been exposed to mercury longer. That tuna is also not "dolphin-safe"—fishermen there use dolphins to spot tuna, and spread their nets alongside them, drowning hundreds of dolphins while gathering tuna.
Tuna is a common ingredient in pet food, especially in cat food; and you can bet that the tuna used is the cheapest grade available—which is potentially the highest in toxins. (Salmon, another popular ingredient, is nearly all factory-farmed, and therefore high in a variety of toxins.)
So what to do if you and your cat are tuna lovers? Tuna from Asia had the lowest levels of mercury. There are also a few companies that specialize in small, line-caught, sashimi-grade albacore that is naturally low in mercury, such as Oregon's Choice and Vital Choice. It is best to simply avoid cat foods containing a lot of fish.
.............
ALERT: New Tuna Warning!
It's well known that traces of mercury, PCBs, and other toxins can be found in seafood. But mercury may be more common, and at higher levels, than you think.
In a 2006 study by Landmark Laboratories of Benton Harbor, MI, led by Defenders of Wildlife, 164 cans of tuna from around the world were tested. The tuna from Latin America—especially Mexico and Ecuador—had the highest levels of mercury, sometimes 50 percent higher than what the U.S. government allows (1.0 ppm). Evidently, commercial fishermen in those countries target the largest and oldest tuna, which have been exposed to mercury longer. That tuna is also not "dolphin-safe"—fishermen there use dolphins to spot tuna, and spread their nets alongside them, drowning hundreds of dolphins while gathering tuna.
Tuna is a common ingredient in pet food, especially in cat food; and you can bet that the tuna used is the cheapest grade available—which is potentially the highest in toxins. (Salmon, another popular ingredient, is nearly all factory-farmed, and therefore high in a variety of toxins.)
So what to do if you and your cat are tuna lovers? Tuna from Asia had the lowest levels of mercury. There are also a few companies that specialize in small, line-caught, sashimi-grade albacore that is naturally low in mercury, such as Oregon's Choice and Vital Choice. It is best to simply avoid cat foods containing a lot of fish.
