MERCURIC CONTAMINATION OF CANNED TUNA FISH (Hansard, 25 January 1971)

§ LORD BURNTWOOD
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, the administrative action we have taken is intended to deal with quite different conditions here as compared with those in the United States of America. We have accepted the advice of the Pharmacological Sub-Committee on medical aspects of food policy that there is no need at the present time to set a limit for the level of mercury residues in canned tuna fish. My right honourable friend has also acted on the committee's request that a full study be made of mercury residues in food. My right honourable friend announced recently the details of the monitoring scheme which is now in operation.

§ LORD BURNTWOOD
My Lords, is the noble Earl satisfied that we have taken such administrative action as we have taken with the fullest possible scientific advice available to us? Is the noble Earl further aware that there appears to be some indication that, in the light of recent action taken by the Government in this matter, certain extremely efficient and competent retail organisations have put this particular canned food back on the shelves for sale to the public, although there is more and more evidence that the absorptive capacity of the human body in the matter of mercuric poisoning is not, as yet, fully understood?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, I appreciate the noble Lord's concern over this matter. The fact is that my right honourable friend has taken the advice of the Pharmacological Sub-Committee, which was strengthened by five experts on mercuric matters when the United States first found this problem. I would stress that conditions here are different from those which appertain in the United States, if only because we in this country consume one-tenth of the tuna fish which the United States consumes.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, can the noble Earl tell us in what respects conditions are different? Is he aware that the fact that we as a community consume only one-tenth is no indication of the total intake of mercury which certain individuals may have. It would be helpful if we could have a 703 fuller statement on these risks. I acknowledge that the noble Earl has to listen to the advice which he is given.

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, the important point is the amount of mercury consumed by an individual. The Government have taken samples over the period 1966–67 of different quantities of foods consumed, and the amount of mercury available was down to the least detectable amounts. Obviously, conditions are different in this country since the amount of tuna fish consumed is very considerably less than in America. In America there is a guideline of 0.5 parts per million which is acceptable, but in Japan and Sweden, which are both great fish-eating countries, the legal limit is double that at one part per million.

§ LORD BYERS
My Lords, if the same group is consuming this tuna fish, is it not possible that they are getting very near to the danger point?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, when considering this point the Pharmacological Sub-Committee took into account those people who were larger consumers of tuna fish; namely, those people on a slimming diet. Apparently, you can eat up to a tin of tuna fish a day without any risk whatsoever.

§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILL
My Lords, does the noble Earl recall that, time after time, the pronouncements of the Food and Drug Administration of the United States have been proved to be better informed than the pronouncements of similar organisations in this country and in Europe, which very often pronounce too late on the same subjects?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, my right honourable friend takes the advice of the Committee, and part of the advice which it gave was that a monitoring system should be set up. My right honourable friend has decided to do that, and the system will specifically monitor 3,000 different types of foods consumed by different individuals, on the point of the mercurial residues in them.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl if he will consider again with his right honourable friend whether the advice on these matters comes in time? For instance, is he 704 aware that it is 12 or 15 years since concern was expressed about mercury seed dressings and other toxic chemicals, and that it was some years before the situation was corrected? While acknowledging that advice has to be listened to, may I ask the noble Earl whether he will put to his right honourable friend some of the searching questions which I am sure he himself can think of?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, I appreciate the noble Lord's interest in this matter, and I will certainly pass on his observations to my right honourable friend.

§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILL
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl to recall that it was the Food and Drug Administration of the United States which told the people of the United States not to consume thalidomide, and that the Government of this country and the Governments of Western Germany and other European countries reassured the people and told them not to take any notice of that warning? Does the noble Earl recall that in consequence the United States did not have one malformed child, whereas this country and Western Germany had thousands?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, I appreciate the point which the noble Baroness has made. While taking account of the recommendations which other countries make, we in this country must have our own bodies to advise Ministers.

§ LORD BURNTWOOD
My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that, having listened to the exchange between the two Front Benches, I am satisfied that the authorities will have been alerted about this problem? Finally, may I ask whether he is aware that one of the great anxieties is that the advice tendered to the United States Administration is that it is not really known how dangerous is the gradual build-up of the mercury intake into a human being, when a diet includes the periodical eating of tuna?

EARL FERRERS
My Lords, that is perfectly true, and that is why my right honourable friend has set up this monitoring system. It will then be possible to see whether the levels of mercury in foods which are consumed will lead to an unacceptable standard.