California sues tuna producers over mercury contamination

[UpInArms]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/8979083.htm?1c

SAN FRANCISCO - California's attorney general sued three of the nation's biggest canned tuna companies on Monday for failing to warn consumers that their products contain mercury.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed the lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging the companies violated Proposition 65 - a 1986 ballot measure that requires businesses to warn consumers about known carcinogens or reproductive toxins.

The three defendants include Tri-Union Seafoods, maker of Chicken of the Sea; Del Monte, maker of Starkist; and Bumble Bee Seafoods, maker of Bumble Bee.

Lockyer's office said it tested the companies' albacore and light tuna products and found that they contained mercury at levels that require producers to warn consumers.

...more...

[struggle4progress]

1. kick

:kick:

[Robbien]

2. Scary stuff

and this is foodstuff many children eat. As do I.

The labels on Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee state that the tuna comes from Thailand.

[Nihil]

3. Ummm ...?

Why aren't they sueing the companies that put the mercury into the sea?

This is a real "through the looking-glass" moment ...

"You are *bad* boys for not telling the customer that the fish in the
sea have been polluted by industrial toxins."

"But why are the toxins allowed to be flushed to the sea?"

"That is not our concern: We are merely the label monitors."

"So, if we are only being prosecuted for labelling errors, can we just
put something like 'may contain unhealthy amounts of poison' on the
cans and we'll be alright?"

"Of course, you will be selling your goods honestly again."

"Even though we didn't put the poison in?"

"You are selling the tuna with or without mercury, you simply need
to ensure that the label on the can matches the contents"

"You mean that there isn't a problem in selling unhealthy food, just
in not warning people that it's unhealthy?"

"Correct! If we were to ban unhealthy food, millions would starve!"

"Why is is a crime to sell poisoned fish but not a crime to poison them?"

"Don't ask difficult questions - they upset our sponsors - just pay up ..."


I'm either having one of those surreal dreams or I need more coffee ...