Mercury, especially its toxic form (methylmercury), can cause health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children. Regular consumption of fish with high mercury content can lead to damage to the nervous system, kidneys and immune system.
Tips for fish consumption:
It is recommended to limit the consumption of large predatory fish (e.g. tuna, swordfish) in the diet of children, pregnant and nursing women.
Fish such as salmon, cod, herring, trout and sardines are safer, as they usually have lower levels of mercury.
Maximum levels of mercury in fish in the EU:
Valuesare expressed as maximum concentrations of mercury in wet weight (mg/kg):
For most fish: up to 0.5 mg/kg
For large predatory fish: up to 1.0 mg/kg
Predatory fish with higher standards (up to 1.0 mg/kg):
Tuna, swordfish, shark, marlin, hammerhead (these fish tend to accumulate more mercury).
In Poland, apart from State Offices, mercury content in fish is often tested by accredited commercial laboratories that specialize in chemical analyses of food and the environment and are accredited to test mercury content in fish.
Examples of reports from such studies:
Analytical report of Eurofins Polska from 02.03.2021 https://life-mercury-free.p.lodz.pl/sites/default/files/2024-11/raport-2021.03.pdf
Analytical report of Eurofins Polska from 11.04.2023 https://life-mercury-free.p.lodz.pl/sites/default/files/2024-11/raport-2023.04.pdf
As can be seen from the reports, mercury content of 0.018-0.019 mg/kg was detected in Baltic herring, which is significantly below the permissible standard of 0.5 mg/kg.
More reports on the current results of tests for histamine and heavy metals of our raw material are available directly on the website of the Fish Producers Organization „Bałtyk” sp. z o.o.
