The test has found the Sushi from 5 of the 20 places containing high mercury levels and so the Food and Drug Administration mulls to take legal action to remove the fish from the market. Dr. Michael Gochfeld, professor of environmental and occupational medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, N.J. has appealed not to eat a meal of tuna with mercury levels like those found in the restaurant samples.
The restaurant owners whose tuna sushi had high mercury concentrations said that they were shocked to hear this. Drew Nieporent, a managing partner of Nobu Next Door, said, “We do not want anything that might endanger our customers and so we are ready to take off the immediately soon after the report.” Tim Fitzgerald, a marine scientist for Environmental Defense, said that mercury levels in bluefin are also high in any location.
High mercury levels in food can cause health problems for adults, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and neurological symptoms. Andy Arons, an owner of Gourmet Garage, said, “After the report we look for lower-level-mercury fish. Maybe we won’t sell tuna sushi for a while, until we get to the bottom of this.”
The report shows that more expensive tuna usually contains more mercury from the fish it eats. It is found that mercury enters the environment as an industrial pollutant. Dr. Bolger of the F.D.A. said that next year bluefin tuna will be included in the test list. The authority has warned people of New York not to tuna, Chilean sea bass, swordfish, shark, grouper and other kinds of fish as these are highly mercury concentrated.
Many believes that government’s warning not to eat sea food do not go far enough as people loves to eat these tasty food without hesitation.
