Clean Food News

 

Fishing for a low-mercury dinner

 

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Fish are heart-healthy, and most people should eat more. But fish also can contain mercury, and too much mercury can harm brain cells, especially in the very young.  So what are the best choices for both the heart and the brain?  Salmon and oysters top the list as high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and very low in mercury, and there are numerous other low-mercury choices, too.  Yet the government has no consumer-friendly list of its own mercury testing results to help people of different ages choose seafood.

In fact, the good news about low-mercury choices has been far overshadowed by a battle over which fish the Food and Drug Administration should warn people most at risk from mercury, pregnant women and young children, to avoid. That controversy made headlines again recently as the FDA grappled with whether certain types of ever-popular tuna should be on the do-not-eat list for those people.

The potential backlash effect, even mercury critics acknowledge, is that many consumers could be scared away from fish in general ? a bad choice.  "It's really unfortunate," especially for middle-aged people who are most in need of fish and least at risk from mercury, says Dr. William S. Harris of the American Heart Association.  His organization recommends that most people eat a variety of fish rich in omega-3s at least twice a week, even more for those diagnosed with heart disease. "The message should be: 'Eat more fish for your health while minimizing your mercury intake,'" adds Ned Groth, a scientist with Consumers Union, a nonprofit group that is pushing the FDA to publicize low-mercury choices.

Mercury pollution washes into waterways and builds up in fish. The bigger the fish, the more mercury it contains.  Over time, the metal can accumulate in fish-eaters' bodies, too. High enough levels can damage the growing brains of fetuses and young children. About 8 percent of women of childbearing age have enough mercury in their blood to put a fetus at risk.  Far less is known about the potential dangers of mercury-containing seafood in other people. Consumer advocates say about 3 million people are extreme seafood lovers, eating so much of it per week that, depending on what varieties they choose, they might be at risk, too. 

Still, exposure by fetuses and young children are clearly the biggest concern. The FDA's scientific advisers recently urged the government to stress low-mercury choices for women of childbearing age and youngsters, so the FDA is rewriting its seafood recommendations. The new list is due out next spring.  For now, a review of FDA's mercury measurements in 39 seafood varieties shows:

Salmon, oysters, whitefish, sea bass, freshwater trout, and sardines

contain both high levels of heart-healthy omega-3s and low mercury levels, below 0.13 parts per million.

Other low-mercury choices include perch, king crab, flounder, sole, pollock, catfish, croaker, scallops, crawfish, shrimp, clams, and tilapia.  They contain less omega-3s, but servings can add up.

Tuna is controversial, because different varieties contain different amounts ofboth mercury and heart-healthy fats. Canned light tuna contains a small amount of omega-3, about as much as shrimp, and fairly low 0.13 ppm mercury. But fresh tuna steaks and the more expensive canned white or albacore tuna contain three times as much mercury, and almost as much omega-3 as salmon.