Overview
- The temporary removal covers Paris, Lyon, Lille, Grenoble, Montpellier, Rennes, Bègles and Mouans-Sartoux, affecting an area of about 3.5 million residents.
- The move follows NGO-commissioned tests of 148 canned-tuna samples that found mercury in every can, with more than half exceeding 0.3 mg/kg.
- The cities’ joint statement warns that serving authorized tuna could push children above tolerable mercury intake and risk long-term neurodevelopmental harm.
- With national and EU limits still set at 1 mg/kg for fresh tuna, activists argue this effectively permits far higher concentrations in canned products, roughly 2.7 mg/kg after dehydration.
- The canned-food federation says products meet current law, disputes the NGOs’ testing protocol, and reports average mercury levels three times below the legal threshold.