FDA and EPA Announce the Revised Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in
Fish
News for release: Friday, March 19, 2004
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
FDA and EPA Announce the Revised Consumer Advisory
on Methylmercury in Fish
Contacts: FDA 301-436-2335
EPA 202-564-4355
(Washington, D.C. - March 19, 2004) The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
their joint consumer advisory on methylmercury in fish and shellfish for
reducing the exposure to high levels of mercury in women who may become
pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children. This
unifies advice from both FDA and EPA and supercedes FDA's and EPA's 2001
advisories.
The FDA and EPA want to emphasize the benefits of eating fish -
consumers should know that fish and shellfish can be important parts of
a healthy and balanced diet. They are good sources of high quality
protein and other essential nutrients; however, as a matter of prudence,
women might wish to modify the amount and type of fish they consume if
they are planning to become pregnant, pregnant, nursing, or feeding a
young child. By following these three recommendations for selecting and
eating fish or shellfish, women will receive the benefits of eating fish
and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to
the harmful effects of mercury.
1. Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they
contain high levels of mercury.
2. Eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) a week of a variety of fish
and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
* Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are
shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
* Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more
mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish
and shellfish, you may eat up to six ounces (one average meal) of
albacore tuna per week.
3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and
friends in your local lakes, rivers and coastal areas. If no advice is
available, eat up to six ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you
catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that
week.
Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to
your young child, but serve smaller portions.
"This revised advisory is a culmination of months of hard work by both
agencies," said FDA Deputy Commissioner, Lester M. Crawford, D.V.M.,
Ph.D. "By following this advice, we're confident that women and young
children can safely include fish as an important part of a healthy
diet."
In July 2002, FDA's Food Advisory Committee met and made several
recommendations to FDA on how to revise its 2001 consumer advisory on
methylmercury in fish with special concern for pregnant women, nursing
mothers, women who may become pregnant, and young children. One
recommendation was for FDA and EPA to coordinate mercury advisories on
commercial fish and recreational fish and say something specific about
canned tuna.
In December 2003, FDA's Food Advisory Committee met again to be updated
on the progress FDA had made in responding to their recommendations. At
that time the committee recommended listing in the advisory fish that
are low in mercury. Since the December 2003 meeting and the period of
time between the two meetings, FDA and EPA have been working together
toward the goal of providing an updated consumer advisory in response to
the recommendations from the Food Advisory Committee. This work has
included conducting ongoing interagency meetings; conducting field
assignments which provided additional testing of mercury in fish for
which there were low sample sizes; sampling over 3400 cans of tuna;
undertaking exposure assessments using these new data; and conducting
focus group testing on the revised advisory.
"Our guidance allows consumers to make educated dietary choices for fish
they catch or buy," said EPA's Acting Assistant Administrator for the
Office of Water Benjamin Grumbles. "With a few simple adjustments,
consumers can continue to enjoy these foods in a manner that is healthy
and beneficial."
As part of announcing the revised consumer advisory, FDA and EPA plan to
launch a comprehensive outreach and educational campaign.
Additional information can be found at: www.cfsan.fda.gov or the EPA
website at www.epa.gov/ost/fish
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Release date:03/19/2004
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