Apparently Tuna isn’t a suitable food for a primary aged DC (Lighthearted AIBU?)

[TunaIsOk]

This is from ExH after he video called DD (Aged 7, Year 3) and she told him she’d had tuna pasta for tea (her favourite).

His text to me says that he doesn’t think Tuna is the right food to be feeding a primary aged child.

I asked him if he’d looked at the school menu for lunches recently. Tuna Sandwiches and Tuna Jacket potatoes available every day, three times in the 4 week menu there’s some sort of Tuna Pasta Dish available on the hot menu, it’s very popular from what I’ve been told.

DD often opts for the tuna dish if it’s there.

No reply.

But am I being UR to give DD tuna? I know I'm not don't worry!

For context, tonights was fresh from the fish monger this morning but I do use tinned as well. There was also sweetcorn, tomatoes and peppers in it as well as a tomato sauce I make myself.

It’s to do with tuna containing mercury which is not good for both children and adults. It can be consumed not more than once or twice a week. My daughters primary she is 7 yo in year 2 serves tuna sandwiches every lunch as an option and my daughter opts for it every time she doesn’t like the main options. Which can be five days in a row! Can’t stop her from doing that but thankfully from year 3 she will have packed lunches and I’ll make sure she doesn’t get tuna sandwiches from me. I have tuna salad once a week as a good source of protein.

Feeding your child delicious healthy food?!?! How dare you!!

Canned tuna has been found to be high in arsenic and other heavy metals.

www.consumerlab.com/news/best-and-worst-tuna-salmon-sardines/07-10-2020/

Even adults can get arsenic poisoning, I know someone who was having sardines very often and after some months got tested and they had arsenic in toxic levels.

@TyotyaKlava

It’s to do with tuna containing mercury which is not good for both children and adults. It can be consumed not more than once or twice a week. My daughters primary she is 7 yo in year 2 serves tuna sandwiches every lunch as an option and my daughter opts for it every time she doesn’t like the main options. Which can be five days in a row! Can’t stop her from doing that but thankfully from year 3 she will have packed lunches and I’ll make sure she doesn’t get tuna sandwiches from me. I have tuna salad once a week as a good source of protein.

Arsenic too, and other heavy metals, see my link above ☹️

There’s more research on pubmed and elsewhere, if anyone’s interested. I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s tuna parade, sorry!

@OohRahhMaki

Huh - I don't think I've ever heard that before. Is it because of high levels of mercury or something?

Plus arsenic and other heavy metals ☹️

@Mundra

You shouldn't have tuna more than twice a week due to the concentrations of heavy metals in the fish- this is even more important for children who are small, and thus have lower safe limits of heavy metals in the bloodstream.

Thank you! Not many seem aware of this ☹️

Tell him to “ Change his tuna” in a theatrical Italian accent.

It’s high in mercury, so having it everyday probably isn’t great..

However, a 2008 study published in "Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry" found that although mercury levels in salmon fall below human health consumption guidelines, wild salmon contains three times as much mercury as farmed salmon. Mackerel, swordfish and tilefish contain higher levels of mercury, and pregnant or nursing women and young children should avoid these types of fish. Pregnant or nursing women are advised to eat no more than 6 ounces of fish per week and children under age 2 less than 2 ounces a week, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
BPA Exposure

Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been used in food can linings for years. Revelations of possible health risks have led to restrictions on BPA in Canada, some U.S. states and some U.S. cities. Consumer Reports tested canned soups, juice, tuna, green beans and other foods and found that 19 name-brand canned foods contain BPA. It reports that some products labeled “BPA-free” contained some BPA. Federal guidelines allow safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. But the measure was based on older studies, according to Consumer Reports. New animal studies found abnormal reproductive development at exposures of 2.4 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day.
Possible Damage

Laboratory tests of the toxin suggest possible damage may include birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems because of commonly eaten canned goods, according to the Environmental Working Group, which includes scientists, engineers and policy advocates, who analyze studies and also perform their own tests. Other potential health hazards from BPA include breast cancer, prostate cancer and infertility, according to the group.

The issues with tuna have been known for many years, having said that I do still eat it. There is someone at work who is very 'anti tuna' for that reason but also animal welfare too, it makes for robust discussion every time someone eats it!!

And although OP's ex has been/is controlling, since when is a father not allowed to have a view on his own child's diet without being labelled a twat and a dick (as throughout this thread)?

@Theunamedcat

My ex said the kids couldn't catch covid because they both have acid reflux......at least the tuna thing Has SOME basis in reality

There was a finding that drugs for reflux improved COVID outcomes but reflux/gerd is associated with higher risk of poor COVID outcome (the studies were in adults though)

www.news-medical.net/news/20210820/Over-the-counter-acid-reflux-drug-appears-to-improve-the-odds-of-survival-for-COVID-19-patients.aspx

@bellac11

The issues with tuna have been known for many years, having said that I do still eat it. There is someone at work who is very 'anti tuna' for that reason but also animal welfare too, it makes for robust discussion every time someone eats it!!

And although OP's ex has been/is controlling, since when is a father not allowed to have a view on his own child's diet without being labelled a twat and a dick (as throughout this thread)?

Wild salmon was found to have three times the mercury if farmed salmon, but farmed salmon doesn’t have the same beneficial omega levels so pretty pointless to eat.

@Lubeyboobyalt

“heavy metals in tuna only applies to fresh steaks”

No, it doesn’t only apply to fresh steaks, that’s completely incorrect. Canned fish was found to have high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals.

@Crimesean

That's hilarious! I bet he thought "gotcha! I'm sure I read somewhere that tuna is bad!" - just imagine his gutted/embarrassed face when he saw the school menu

So because the schools feed it to children, it must be ok?

Critical thinking skills are sorely lacking 😔

YABU but only because tuna pasta is the food of the devil!

Disclaimer: all 3 of my DC love the stuff & DS slathers it in ketchup cause he's extra minging 🤢

@Tigofigo

I thought tinned tuna was fine re mercury? Only fresh you need to worry about

The tinned ones come from the same place, they’re all high in heavy metals.

@sadpapercourtesan

“Meanwhile, back in the real world, normal people eat normal food and are fine”

Are people fine, though? It doesn’t seem like it, judging by the high amounts of illness and disability caused by poor nutrition.

@incognitoforthisone

Oh, and re the mercury issue - the NHS website suggests that pregnant women only eat 'up to four cans a week' but doesn't warn of any issue with children or other adults eating it. And the NHS weaning website also has tuna recipes for small babies with no warning about how much they shouldn't eat. So I'd be inclined not to fret about that, personally.

As it the NHS is the ultimate authority, all knowing and all seeing. The NHS also tell people to base our diets on high carbs - starchy foods and grains which cause obesity and diabetes type 2.

I wouldnt tell your ex about lidl doing 48 tins for £15 the other week. Hed explode.
I have heard about it but tbh if it's not something the health visitor tells you about when weaning I wouldnt worry.

Fresh tuna is an oily fish - essential for children’s omega 3 intake. Schools should be providing fresh oily fish every week, but almost none of them are! Tinned tuna does not contain omega 3, due to the canning process, and so does not count as a oily fish or have the same health benefits for children.

Change his tuna

that's brilliant

What's ExH's idea of a child's diet? Dairylea sandwiches, skips and animal biscuits?!

YANBU, DD6 loves tuna!

Tinned tuna is fine the canning process gets rid of any mercury that has built up in the flesh. Fresh tuna is not so safe.

My DSis is a marine biologist and avoids fresh tuna.

Apparently it’s the species of tuna use in tinned tuna that makes it safer.