Mercury in fish warning: Relax, seafood sold in Singapore is safe, says AVA

ST test of 7 kinds of fish shows level of mercury within US safety limits
Judith Tan, Straits Times 21 Apr 08;

ALTHOUGH Hong Kong has joined the chorus of warnings against toxic levels of mercury in certain kinds of fish, it is still safe to keep fish on your shopping list here.

The 'all clear' comes from the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), and an independent test commissioned by The Straits Times shows why.

The United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stipulated that fish must not contain more than 1 part per million (ppm) of mercury, and so have equivalent bodies in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

The AVA here has set the bar higher - at no more than 0.5 ppm.

Tests on six kinds of fish sold here showed that they had less than 0.5 ppm of mercury in them.

Only tuna steak - the kind used to make sushi and sashimi - registered 0.74 ppm, slightly outside the AVA's benchmark.

In any case, all these fish passed the FDA's safety-level test of 1 ppm of mercury.

Pregnant and nursing women who eat contaminated fish and shellfish are in danger of passing on the toxins to the unborn or the children they are nursing.

Children up to age 10 can also be harmed by exposure to mercury, which can impair the development of their brains. Brain functions such as memory and ability with language could be compromised and personality changes could take place.

Warnings of these risks first came from the United States and New Zealand.

Then last Thursday, Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety chimed in to warn pregnant women and children against eating large predatory fish and those which may contain high levels of mercury.

These include shark, swordfish, marlin, alfonsino and tuna, especially the bigeye and bluefin species.

TUV SUD PSB, a body which issues product certification here, tested some samples of fish for The Straits Times, and found higher concentrations of mercury in tuna steaks than other fish.

But six fish varieties sold here - cod, halibut, threadfin, salmon, pink dory and mackerel - were well within AVA's safety levels of 0.5 ppm in the test done for ST.

Fish consumed in Singapore generally have low levels of mercury or none at all, noted AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong.

The agency has been monitoring mercury levels in a large variety of fish and seafood since 1980.

The reputation of fish as being 'healthier' than red meat has been sullied by this issue, but scientists say it is still hard to know the risks behind eating any specific piece of fish.

Seafood is popular here, with 100,000 tonnes chowed down every year.

The increasingly international Singapore palate has developed a definite weakness for the raw fish in sushi and sashimi.

About 2,800 tonnes of tuna are imported from China, India, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea every year.

Mr Goh said that, with tuna here containing 0.74 ppm of mercury, an average-size adult weighing about 60kg can safely eat up to 55g of it every day.

He said: 'While seafood is generally very safe to eat, we can still take precautionary measures to minimise food safety risks through careful selection and handling, and by ensuring our seafood dishes are well-cooked.'

Eating a variety of fish and other foods has also been recommended.