Too much mercury in store-bought fish

Libby Quaid, "Too much mercury in store-bought fish", ESPN, September
20, 2005,
Link:
http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conserva...0/2167267.html

Store-bought swordfish contained mercury levels above the legal limit
in a study released recently by environmental groups.

A University of North Carolina Lab found elevated mercury
concentrations in 24 swordfish samples from supermarket chains
including Safeway, Shaws, Albertsons and Whole Foods.

Groups that paid for the analysis want supermarkets to post signs
warning shoppers of health risks from mercury, and they want the
government to increase its testing.

"Americans have a right to know what's in their food, and posting
warning signs in grocery stores where these fish are sold is a simple,
commonsense solution that fulfills that right," said Jackie Savitz of
the advocacy group Oceana.

The federal government advises pregnant women, nursing mothers and
young children to avoid fish with high levels of mercury - shark,
swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. Elevated mercury levels have been
linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays in children
and to heart, nervous system and kidney damage in adults.

A supermarket industry group said it was not surprised by the survey,
because swordfish and tuna are known to have higher levels of mercury.
Many stores already offer brochures or have signs, the group said.

"The issue of asking for supermarkets to provide information at the
store level is something companies are either engaged in doing or in
the process of doing," said Karen Brown, senior vice president of the
Food Marketing Institute. "Certainly, we would support that. We also
would not be opposed to increased testing by FDA."

Average levels were 1.1 parts per million, just over the government's
limit of 1.0 ppm. The Food and Drug Administration can take legal
action to remove a product from the market if mercury levels exceed
that limit. Two samples, from Maine and Rhode Island, contained double
the federal limit for mercury.

Traces of mercury are found in nearly all fish and shellfish. Released
through industrial pollution, mercury falls and accumulates in streams
and oceans as methylmercury. Methylmercury builds up in fish and
shellfish as they feed, in some types more than others.

However, eating fish also has widely acknowledged health benefits. The
American Heart Association advises people to eat fish at least twice a
week.

FDA and EPA advise even at-risk people to eat up to 12 ounces - about
two meals a week - of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury,
such as shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish and canned light tuna. FDA
says to limit albacore, or "white," tuna to one meal per week because
it contains higher levels of mercury.

Of 31 tuna steaks sampled, mercury levels averaged 0.33 ppm, a level
comparable to that of canned albacore tuna.