High Mercury Levels Found in Tuna Sushi

Anal seepage among pitfalls of escolar, aka white tuna

(NEWSER) - There’s likely to come a point in the next few days when you’re sick of turkey, but if sushi is your proposed cure, be sure to steer clear of a fish that comes with a side of anal seepage: escolar. Sometimes seen on menus as “white tuna,” and known to detractors as the “Ex-Lax fish,” the buttery species often ends up in tuna nets—and, Mother Jones reports, the industry is trying to position it for popularity. More»

(NEWSER) - You might suspect a sushi restaurant that doesn’t specify what sort of tuna you’re eating of trying to pawn off an inferior species. Not so. Researchers using novel DNA barcoding technology found that though nearly a third of tuna sold in 31 US restaurants was the prized—and endangered—bluefin. But just 8 of the 22 bluefin samples were accurately labeled. More»

Play mocking mercury poisoning must stop defaming him, comedian insists

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven has had it up to here with people mocking his sushi poisoning. The comedian slapped the Public Theater with a cease-and-desist letter over The Piven Monologues, a show that explores his mercury poisoning fiasco. Piven’s attorney clarifies, “We didn't say you cannot do the play, we said you can't make defamatory statements about our client.” Somehow it seems that would make the play a lot less funny… More»

Actor says he could have had heart attack

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven and his terrible case of sushi-related mercury poisoning got off easy during last night's Late Show appearance. David Letterman skipped questions prepared by the National Fisheries Institute—such as "why is it that people in Japan eat far more fish than you, yet don't complain about mercury poisoning?"—and let the actor explain why he bailed on Speed the Plow, the New York Post reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven was on the level when he blamed mercury poisoning for his decision to bail on a Broadway production of Speed-the-Plow last December, an arbitrator has ruled. "While we respect the decision, we strongly disagree with it," the producers of the David Mamet play said in a statement. Said the Entourage star, who blamed overconsumption of sushi for his medical condition, "I'm pleased with the outcome of the arbitration and to be completely vindicated in this matter," Playbill reports. More»