But is it safe to eat it every day? The short answer: Probably. But if you're wrong, you could end up with mercury poisoning, which can cause weird symptoms like tingling sensations and loss of balance, says Michael Gochfeld, M.D., Ph. D., a researcher with the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute.
For albacore tuna, the FDA recommends eating up to 4 oz. a week. All other consumers should aim for 8–12 oz of a variety of seafoods a week as recommended by the American Heart Association and Dietary Guidelines.
Given these mercury concentrations, people may safely consume three to four servings of low-mercury tuna per week. Higher mercury tuna should be restricted to one serving per week.
Not only is it lower in sodium and other additives, it's a good source of omega-3 fats and a great way to add protein to your lunch! Compared to canned fish, the vacuum-sealed pouches also have a fresher flavor and texture. However, there is one potential concern with eating it 3-4 times a week.
Children under six can eat up to one 3-ounce portion a month; children from 6-12, two 4.5-ounce portions a month. Adults, including pregnant women, can safely eat this kind of tuna up to three times a month (women, 6-ounce portions; men, 8-ounce portions).
Canned light tuna is low in mercury and is considered one of the best choices for individuals that need to limit their exposure to mercury. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding can consume 2–3 servings of canned light tuna per week and children can consume 2 servings per week.
If you eat more than the recommended amount, you could get mercury poisoning. High levels of mercury in tuna can have side effects. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include loss of coordination, memory problems, numbness, pain, problems with vision, seizures and tremors.
There are some differences between pouched and canned tuna
However, since heat can penetrate the thin material on the pouch more easily than cans, pouched tuna requires a shorter cooking and processing time, which leads to a fresher and firmer tasting product, according to Just Food.
Tuna is a quick, easy protein choice that works for lunch or dinner – eat it right out of the pouch or can, put it on crackers, a salad or sandwich, and it works perfectly in pasta and rice dishes.
This wild caught, hand packed light tuna in a Flavor Fresh Pouch® is fully-cooked and ready to enjoy – especially since it doesn't require draining! Try it over a salad, in a sandwich or you can enjoy straight out of the pouch – just tear, eat and go! 70 calories and 17g of protein per pouch.
The “best by” date is printed on the back of the pouch. As long as the pouch is not damaged and was stored properly (not exposed to freezing or high temperatures for long periods of time) the quality will be good for at least 5 years.
The FDA recommends consuming fish lower in mercury. For tuna varieties, skipjack earns the Best Choice label from the FDA, while yellowfin and albacore receive the Good Choice label. The FDA suggests avoiding bigeye tuna, which has the highest levels of mercury.
Tuna Pouch - 2.6 oz.
Processed foods: When ingredients such as oil, sugar or salt are added to foods and they are packaged, the result is processed foods. Examples are simple bread, cheese, tofu, and canned tuna or beans. These foods have been altered, but not in a way that's detrimental to health.
Canned or pouched tuna is cooked inside the sealed container. This is how canning anything works. Once the food is inside the sealed can or jar or pouch, the temperature is raised to a certain degree for a specific amount of time. This kills any bacteria or other microorganisms that may be in the food.
Place cans and pouches of tuna in a cool place. The best temperature for storage is room temperature. Keep cans and pouches dry and off the floor because this will prevent them from rusting and leaking, or accidentally being crushed.
An average 5-ounce serving (1 can) of light tuna contains 18.11 micrograms of mercury.
pouch Light Tuna in Water has 180 mg per serving of EPA and DHA omega-3's.
Random samples of the liquid covering the tuna fish in the cans showed 6 MPs/mL in the case of water and 5 MPs/mL in the case of oil-containing samples. A total of 90% of the reported particles presented a size range of 1-50 µm.
Once in the body mercury has a half-life of ~3 days in the blood stream and a 90 day half life in other tissues (e.g. brain, kidneys, etc).
That's because, while canned tuna, especially light varieties, has relatively low average levels of mercury, individual cans can sometimes have much higher levels. “From can to can, mercury levels can spike in unpredictable ways that might jeopardize the health of a fetus,” says James E.
In general, it is safe for all population groups, including pregnant women, to consume 2-3 serves of any type of tuna per week (canned or fresh). Canned tuna generally has lower levels of mercury than other tuna because the tuna used for canning are smaller species that are generally caught when less than 1 year old.
Tuna: if you are trying for a baby or are pregnant, you should have no more than 4 cans of tuna a week or no more than 2 tuna steaks a week. This is because tuna contains higher levels of mercury than other fish. If you are breastfeeding, there is no limit on how much tuna you can eat.
The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal. The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.