Something Fishy Here

The media pounds Bush and Cheney constantly for their past business connections, yet are completely mute on the Kerry-Heinz Company connection.

Including this story.

Limits Urged on Eating Tuna

For the first time, the federal government has warned pregnant and nursing women and young children away from eating more than a limited amount of canned albacore "white" tuna because of potential hazards from mercury in the fish.

Responding to research that showed concentrations of mercury are significantly higher in the larger albacore species than in the smaller skipjack, or "chunk light" tuna, the government advised potentially vulnerable consumers yesterday to eat no more than six ounces of albacore tuna per week. That would amount to one meal.

Tuna is the second most popular seafood in the United States. The issue of whether children and childbearing women should be warned away from it has been hotly debated.

The tuna industry has generally resisted the warning and questioned the scientific findings underlying it, and some consumer and environmental groups have pressed for stronger action.

From the Heinz Company profile:

Tops in Worldwide Tuna

Heinz accounts for 20% of global branded tuna sales and is the world's largest purchaser of tuna. StarKist's unmatched assets include: a procurement network stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans; a string of strategically located canneries in American Samoa, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Portugal, France, the Seychelles and Australia; consumer markets in Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Americas; and powerful brands - StarKist, John West, Petit Navire, Greenseas, Wattie's, Heinz and Mareblu. In North America, television pitchman Charlie the Tuna long ago propelled the StarKist brand into the number-one market position, with a nearly 50% share. (emphasis added)

So where's the media outrage? The house Kerry used as collateral for his campaign loan is half owned by Teresa Heinz, aren't her real assets fruit of the Heinz tree as much as Cheney's are of Halliburton?

Note: Heinz tuna, including the popular Starkist brand, is not canned by American workers. Why not?

Posted by feste at March 19, 2004 04:41 PM | TrackBack