Kids Should Eat as Little as 26 Grams of Canned Tuna a Week

One brand of canned tuna tested in Ecuador had mercury levels high enough that kids should eat no more than 26 grams per week. That's barely a tablespoon.

Three Brands, Very Different Mercury

Researchers tested three popular brands of canned tuna in oil sold in Quito, Ecuador. Mercury levels varied wildly: 0.22 mg/kg (Brand A), 0.63 mg/kg (Brand B), and 0.36 mg/kg (Brand C), according to a 2026 study in NPJ Sci Food.

All three technically met international safety limits. But when researchers calculated actual health risk, Brand C exceeded the EPA's safe exposure threshold for methylmercury (HQ > 1).

The Safe Amounts Are Tiny

For the highest-mercury brand, the safe weekly limit was just 26 grams for children and 126 grams for adults. Even the lowest-mercury brand maxed out at 106 grams per week for kids. A typical can is about 140 to 170 grams. That means one can could put a child over the safe limit.

What You Can Do

Limit canned tuna for kids. Choose light tuna over albacore (it typically has less mercury). Rotate with lower-mercury fish like salmon and sardines. And pair smarter food choices with non-toxic kitchen alternatives.

Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.

Source: Trujillo-Cruz E, Fernández L, Carpintero-Salvador N, et al. (2026). NPJ Sci Food.