Chicago Tribune, "How safe is tuna? Federal regulators and the tuna industry fail to warn consumers about the true health hazards of an American favorite"

          In the fall of 1970, a chemistry professor in upstate New York reached into his pantry, grabbed a can of tuna and, on a hunch, tested it for mercury. What he found stunned him: levels of the toxic metal far above U.S. safety limits. Embarrassed regulators immediately did their own testing, which confirmed the professor's results.
          Tainted tuna soon captured national headlines and became a cultural reference point, from the butt of Johnny Carson jokes to the lyrics of a Marvin Gaye hit: "Fish full of mercury/Oh mercy, mercy me." Government officials characterized the high mercury levels as an anomaly. After recalling 12 million cans, they pronounced tuna safe to eat again.
          But three decades later, canned tuna still contains mercury --sometimes in amounts as high as those found by the professor. A Chicago Tribune investigation shows the tuna industry has failed to adequately warn consumers about the risks of eating canned tuna, while federal regulators have been reluctant to include the fish in their mercury advisories -- at times amid heavy lobbying by industry.