Canned Tuna

There's an interesting article in the July, 2006 issue of Consumer Reports. While canned "light" tuna has been recommended as the safer, lower mercury choice over white or albacore tuna, FDA tests have shown that in 6% of tested samples light tuna contained at least as much or more mercury than white tuna.

Consumer Reports' Chief Medical Adviser recommends pregnant women to avoid eating canned tuna at all, and that women of childbearing age and young children limit consumption.

According to the article, other fish that can be high in mercury are:

Tilefish, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, Chilean bass, halibut, America loster, Spanish mackerel.

Here is what they list for safe (low-mercury) fish:

Salmon, shrimp, clams, tilapia are okay to eat every day.

Oysters, hake, sardines, crawfish, pollock, herring, flounder, sole, mullet, Atlantic mackerel, scallops, crab, Atlantic croaker once a week.