Category Archives: Fish and Seafood

Mercury in fish and seafood

MPP Submits Comments on FDA’s Flawed Fish Consumption Risk-Benefit Assessment

Posted on by

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a draft “Quantitative Risk and Benefit Assessment of Commercial Fish Consumption,” for public comment. Attention to the unscientifc nature of the FDA’s assessment was contained in a letter to the FDA  submitted by MPP and 10 other public interest groups and experts in the field.

MPP also submitted lengthy Technical Comments on the FDA draft. MPP’s comments were prepared by its consultant, Dr. Edward Groth, who worked as a senior scientist for Consumers Union for nearly 25 years on environmental health, food safety and risk communication. Dr. Groth emphasized, “While FDA’s analysis suggests that the benefits outweigh the risks for the average person, that point is misleading. The focus instead should be on ways to ensure benefits while minimizing risks—a “win/win” solution—by educating consumers to choose low-mercury fish.”  Using data from the FDA’s own analysis, MPP’s comments show that tuna fish alone accounts for 37 percent of all the mercury in the American diet, and about 20 other varieties of fish and shellfish are also relatively high in mercury. But there is plenty of good news: Two-thirds of the total market for fish and shellfish is low in mercury, and 9 of the 11 top-selling items are low-mercury choices.

New Report Shows Need for Strong FDA Advice on Mercury in Fish

Posted on by

Today, a parent of a mercury-poisoning victim joined a medical doctor and an advocacy group in refuting the FDA’s new proposal to stop warning pregnant women and children about mercury in fish.  In 2004, the FDA joined EPA in releasing advice to restrict the species and amounts of fish eaten by women of childbearing age and children due to exposure risks to mercury.  On Friday, in a draft report submitted to the Bush White House, the FDA indicated that they were planning not only to rescind that advice, but recommend that sensitive populations eat more mercury-contaminated fish.

“Talk about getting hooked on fish stories,” said Michael Bender, MPP, Director of the Mercury Policy Project, which just released a new case study exposure report. “FDA has really gone overboard this time by casting out the science and reeling in the industry ‘line’ instead,” Bender said, referring to an industry report released prior to the FDA report that reached strikingly similar conclusions.  “Real people have been sickened by mercury in fish, demonstrating the importance of strong FDA advice on mercury in fish.” The new MPP report, Over the Limit, shares stories of  people who each ate enough store-bought fish to suffer mercury’s effects, according to their physicians.  From New Jersey to Wisconsin to California, these stories show that seafood contamination is a very real problem that should not be ignored.

Seafood and Sushi Lovers Can Now Check Mercury Levels on the Go

Posted on by

Shoppers and diners can use any cell phone web browser to enter their weight and fish choice to estimate low, moderate or high level dose of mercury based on U. S. government guidelines. The cell phone calculator compliments the GotMercury.Org web version. Fish consumption is the primary source of mercury exposure in the United States. In addition, AJR 57, introduced into the California legislature by Rep.Huffman on mercury-contaminated seafood passed this year and urges the federal Food and Drug Administration to take responsibility for, and take actions to reduce, the public’s exposure to mercury in seafood by taking specified actions.

Oceana/MPP Study Shows High Tuna Levels

Posted on by

Mercury has again been in the news with the release of new data on mercury levels in tuna sushi by the New York Times and Oceana/Mercury Policy Project study. While the results were startling–around 1 of 3 pieces of tuna tested had levels above FDA’s action level of 1 PPM–the attack by special interests against those covering the news was swift and erroneous. Seemingly, according to these special interests, everyone including pregnant women and children could eat as much high mercury fish as they wanted, without any risk. In response, 29 mercury experts from 11 countries signed on to the following open letter to set the record straight.

Scientists Warn Public About Heath Risks of Mercury Contaminated Fish

Posted on by

Scientists from around the world are warning people about the health risks posed by eating mercury contaminated fish. Children and women of childbearing age are being told to be extra careful, since the risks are greatest to sensitive populations. The alarming findings are revealed in “The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution” published today in a special issue of the international science journal Ambio. Developed at the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant last August in Madison, Wisconsin, the declaration is a synopsis of the latest scientific knowledge about the danger posed by mercury pollution.

Canada Prohibits Sales of High-Mercury Tuna

Posted on by

Following reports that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will not allow sales of high mercury canned tuna into the Canadian market, MPP is calling on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to do the same. “FDA’s own testing indicates that some albacore canned tuna has very high mercury levels comparable to those found in Canada,” said MPP Director Michael Bender. “However, the agency has done nothing to prevent high mercury tuna from ending up in our children’s sandwiches or our dinner plates.” A recent national news report in Canada indicated that 8 out of 60 cans of albacore tuna exceeded the Government of Canada’s guidelines of 0.5 parts per million for mercury. In a follow up review, CFIA determined that 5 of the 60 cans tested (8%) exceeded the standard of 0.5ppm. In response, the CFIA has contacted tuna importers to ensure that incoming shipments of canned albacore tuna are tested. CFIA is also reminding governments of the top exporting countries, including the U.S., and domestic Canadian importers of the importance of meeting Canadian requirements. “According to recent testing, some light canned tuna also has high mercury levels that surpass 0.5 ppm mercury,” said Bender. “Unfortunately, FDA has not followed up on this either.”

Comments Submitted to USDA on Excluding Tuna From WIC

Posted on by

MPP and an number of other health and environmental groups concerned with mercury pollution and with health risks to people today provided comment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on its “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Revisions to the WIC Packages- Proposed Rule.” While applauding USDA for its proposed rule to discontinue WIC offerings of “white” canned tuna, we strongly recommend that “light” canned tuna also be eliminated from the WIC program. Recent tests indicate that some light canned tuna has similarly high mercury levels—or higher levels—than “white” canned tuna and therefore, under the Institute of Medicine criteria, would indeed “pose a mercury hazard.”

Advocates Question Bias in Seafood Consumption Report

Posted on by

As the Institute of Medicine announces the release of a new report on Oct.17, Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks, advocates are questioning the process that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) used in selecting committee members. At the beginning of the process, MPP and other advocates wrote a letter expressing concerns over the selection of a consumer representative who had close ties with food producing companies. Advocates also met with IOM, and suggested that the IOM committee was unbalanced, pointing out that all but one member of the Committee was a nutritionist and that the overall emphasis of the Committee work focus on nutritional benefits rather than the risk of exposure to toxins like mercury. 

Since then, it has come to light (see pages 11 & 12 of the report) that the one scientist on the committee with experience in reviewing health effects of mercury had published a report, two months before being appointed to the NAS committee, that was funded by the US Tuna Foundation and the National Food Processors Association Research Foundation. In the study for the fishing industry, this scientist concluded that pregnant women who reduced fish consumption instead of substituting low-mercury fish for high-mercury species would be doing more harm than good for their developing fetus. The study appeared in the academic literature, complete with disclosure of its funding sources, months after the Committee’s work got underway.

NGO Forum “Finding Solutions to the Global Mercury Crisis”

Posted on by

 

An NGO led forum, “Finding Solutions to the Global Mercury Crisis” will be held, August 7th – 10th in Madison, Wisconsin to highlight actions necessary to reduce mercury pollution and its impacts. Advocates from 18 international environment and health policy organizations will focus on available, effective, common sense solutions that will reduce mercury releases and environmental and public health benefits. This conference will be held simultaneously with a global mercury science meeting. Early drafts of a “synthesis manuscript” which the science meeting conferees will release on the final day of the meeting suggest that the conference outcome may emphasize uncertainties about mercury rather than recommendations for action or specific solutions to known mercury problems.

“The fact that mercury presents adverse local and global effects warranting immediate action has already been acknowledged by the United Nations and a host of countries,” said MPP Director Michael Bender (see press release). “By hosting our meeting alongside the science conference, we hope that participants will come away with more concrete solutions to reduce mercury pollution and its impacts.” At their meeting, the NGOs will demonstrate that the mercury crisis is a solvable problem and that use and pollution reduction alternatives are cost effective and available. Co-sponsors of the NGO meeting will relay new evidence on the prevalence of mercury in fish, an American and global diet staple, and the risks of exposure from consumption of those fish.