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:: 2.11.2004 ::
The FDA Advisory on Mercury in Fish * Pregnant women, women who might become pregnant, and nursing mothers should follow 3 rules:
1. DON’T EAT shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury
2. Levels of mercury in other fish can vary. You can safely eat up to 12 ounces (2 to 3 meals) of other purchased fish and shellfish a week. Mix up the types of fish and shellfish you eat and do not eat the same type of fish and shellfish more than once a week.
3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local rivers and streams. If no advice is available, you can safely eat up to 6 ounces (one meal per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.
* Follow the same rules when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but the serving sizes should be smaller.
The difference between this advisory and previous advisories:
1. The recommendation to mix up the types of fish consumed
2. The advice not to eat any other fish in the same week as locally caught fish are consumed (the advice on the amount of locally caught fish to eat is the same as in the 2001 EPA advisory)
3. The advisory for the first time addresses mercury levels in tuna in the form of a Question and Answer. The advice given for tuna is as follows:
Q: What about tuna?
A: Tuna is one of the most frequently consumed fish in the United States. Mercury levels in tuna vary. Tuna steaks and canned albacore tuna generally contain higher levels of mercury than canned light tuna. You can safely include tuna as part of your weekly fish consumption. Found here. For more information about the risks of mercury in fish and shellfish call the FDA’s Food Information Hotline toll-free at 1-888-SAFEFOOD or visit FDA’s Food Safety website. You can also find information on EPA’s website.
:: Deb 10:31 AM :: permalink ::
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