FDA issues fish safety advice

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued formal guidelines warning about the mercury content in certain kinds of fish, particularly for infants and children — a position the state Department of Health took last year based on the same evidence.

"The concern is that there could be a mental effect on a young child," said Lester Crawford, deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. While mercury can affect many organs, the brain is the most sensitive, he said.

The USDA said certain fish — notably shark, swordfish, king mackerel and albacore tuna — contain higher levels of mercury and should be avoided by small children and women who are pregnant, likely to become pregnant or breast feeding. Shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish are safer, the agency said.

Hawai'i officials looked at mercury data and sought and received an exemption last year that allowed it to replace tuna with salmon in a program for breast-feeding women in low-income families.

"We made a request to let our clients elect canned salmon instead of canned tuna. Hawai'i was the first state to get that granted," said Sue Uyehara, program support section chief for the state Department of Health Women Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

The program also created a brochure, "A Local Guide to Eating Fish Safely," available on the Health Department Web site at www.state.hi.us/doh/publichealth/fishsafety.pdf.

The brochure notes that fish higher on the food chain can have higher levels of mercury, since they build up in their tissues the mercury from smaller fish they eat, which absorb mercury from the water.

"This is an important story. Good for the USDA for finally making these guidelines," said Sher Pollack, WIC quality assurance coordinator.

The Health Department divides fish into three categories based on likely mercury levels.

It recommends that top predators such as 'ahi, ono and opah be eaten no more than once every two weeks; fish to be eaten no more than weekly include aku (skipjack tuna), mahi-mahi, canned tuna, nairagi (striped marlin), cod, grouper, orange roughy, pollock and halibut. Akule, awa, moi, mullet, salmon, ika (squid), tako (octopus), scallops and shrimp generally can be eaten anytime.

Hawai'i physician Dr. Terry Shintani, author of "Hawai'i Diet" and "The Good Carbohydrate Revolution," recommends that fish be eaten far less often.

"Optimally, most people should eat fish rarely. That doesn't mean people should eat more chicken and meat. They are no more free of contaminants — just different.

"To me, a plant-based diet is the healthiest. These contaminants don't bioaccumulate in plants," Shintani said.

Fish consumption has been promoted in recent years because the food contains omega-3 fatty acids, which can be good for the heart. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice weekly, and more often if you are diagnosed with heart disease.

The response of the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency — which joined the USDA in making the recommendations — follows that of the Hawai'i Department of Health, emphasizing fish lowest in mercury. The federal guidelines suggest two meals weekly of a low-mercury fish, for a weekly intake totaling 12 ounces.

"By following these guidelines, we're confident that women and young children can safely include fish as an important part of a healthy diet," Crawford said.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.