No bluefin tuna samples purchased at branches of the Mitsui Taipei Food & Beverage Enterprise Group exceeded legal limits for concentrations of heavy metals, Greenpeace Taiwan said yesterday, while the Japanese-style seafood chain criticized what it called the organization’s “selective” campaign.
Mitsui Taipei chairman Huang Yi-jui (黃奕瑞) protested the organization’s inspection, saying that it singled out his company, while bypassing all other chains that offer bluefin tuna.
The report indicated that methylmercury concentrations in Mitsui Taipei’s samples conformed with the Fisheries Agency’s standard of 2 parts per million (ppm), with concentrations of the heavy metal measuring from 0.3ppm to 1.14ppm, while none of the samples tested positive for lead.
Photo: CNA
However, the organization said that concentrations in one sample exceeded the value recommended by the UN’s Codex Alimentarius Commission, which stipulates that methylmercury in large marine predators should not exceed 1ppm.
Greenpeace Taiwan said that methylmercury levels in several samples exceeded Japan’s standard of 0.3ppm.
In a statement, Huang said that Greenpeace Taiwan’s allegations that Mitsui Taipei offers fish with heavy metal residue, that concentrations exceeded UN standards and that the chain performed poorly in seafood traceability and data transparency were actions driven by the organization’s “deep misunderstanding” of the company.
He said that all bluefin tuna served in the company’s eateries are legally procured and safe for consumption.
All materials procured by Mitsui Taipei are labeled in compliance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品衛生管理法), and both the procurement and sources of the seafood are traceable, he added.
The Fisheries Agency in February said that despite the recommended value, the commission has not said that fish with methylmercury levels of 1ppm or greater cannot be consumed.
The agency said that the commission advises governments to properly allocate the distribution of fish with methylmercury concentrations exceeding 1ppm and to restrict their sale to vulnerable groups.
It added that Japan’s standard does not apply to tuna, marlin, deep-sea fish and freshwater fish.
The US’ recommended value of daily methylmercury buildup in humans is no more than 0.1 microgram per kilogram, which means that an adult weighing 60kg would have to consume at least 1.2kg of fish each day for methylmercury buildup to become a legitimate threat, while Taiwanese on average consume only 69g of fish daily, the agency said.
Greenpeace Taiwan oceans campaigner Yen Ning (顏寧) said Mitsui Taipei was targeted because the company has continued to provide “hollow replies” to the organization’s request that it stop offering bluefin tuna, which is listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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