TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NOTE
No. 04-19
Contact:
Irene Wimbush
School Support Services
FOOD AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT
(850) 245-9334
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Jim Horne, Commissioner
(800) 504-6609
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DATE: June 18, 2004
TO: Sponsors of the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Special Milk Programs
FROM:
Diane Santoro, Administrator
Food and Nutrition Management (FNM)
SUBJECT: Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish
On March 19, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced their joint consumer advisory on methylmercury in fish and shellfish for women who may
become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children. This advisory, issued April 15,
2004, unifies advice from both FDA and EPA and supercedes FDA’s and EPA’s 2001 advisories. Food and
Nutrition Service relies on FDA recommendations in matters pertaining to the safety of commercially
available food.
The purpose of this FDA/EPA advisory is to inform women and the parents of young children on how to get
the positive health benefits from eating fish and shellfish, while minimizing their mercury exposure. This
advisory is significant because it is the first time FDA and EPA have combined their advice into a single
uniform advisory. Previously, FDA issued an advisory on the consumption of commercially caught fish,
while EPA issued advice on recreationally caught fish. FDA and EPA revised their existing advisories as a
result of recommendations FDA received from its Food Advisory Committee.
The advisory contains the following recommendations for women who may become pregnant, pregnant
women, nursing mothers, and young children:
1.
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Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of
mercury.
2.
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Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in
mercury.
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Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned tuna,
salmon, pollock, and catfish.
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Another commonly eaten fish, albacore (“white”) tuna, has more mercury than canned
light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to
six ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week
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June 18, 2004
Page 2
3.
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Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in local lakes,
rivers, and coastal areas. If no advisories exist, eat up to six ounces per week of fish you
catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.
4.
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Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to children, but serve
smaller portions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
1.
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What is mercury and methylmercury?
Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through
industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans
and is turned into methylmercury in the water. It is this type of mercury that can be harmful
to your unborn baby and young child. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these
waters and so it builds up in them. It builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than
others, depending on what the fish eat, which is why the levels vary.
2.
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I am a woman who could have children but I’m not pregnant – so why should I be
concerned about methylmercury?
If you regularly eat types of fish that are high in methylmercury, it can accumulate in your
blood stream over time. Methylmercury is removed from the body naturally, but it may take
over a year for the levels to drop significantly. Thus, it may be present in a woman even
before she becomes pregnant. This is the reason why women who are trying to become
pregnant should also avoid eating certain types of fish.
3.
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Is there methylmercury in all fish and shellfish?
Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of methylmercury. However, larger fish that have
lived longer have the highest levels of methylmercury because they’ve had more time to
accumulate it. These large fish (swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish) pose the
greatest risk. Other types of fish and shellfish may be eaten in the amounts recommended by
FDA and EPA.
4.
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I don’t see the fish I eat in the advisory. What should I do?
If you want more information about the levels in the various types of fish you eat, see the
FDA food safety website www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html or the EPA website at
www.epa.gov/ost/fish.
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June 18, 2004
Page 3
5.
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What about fish sticks and fast food sandwiches?
Fish sticks and “fast-food” sandwiches are commonly made from fish that are low in mercury.
6.
The advice about canned tuna is in the advisory, but what’s the advice about tuna steaks?
Because tuna steak generally contains higher levels of mercury than canned light tuna, when
choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of tuna
steak per week.
7.
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What if I eat more than the recommended amount of fish and shellfish in a week?
One week’s consumption of fish does not change the level of methylmercury in the body much at all.
If you eat a lot of fish one week, you can cut back for the next week or two. Just make sure you
average the recommended amount per week.
8.
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Where do I get information about the safety of fish caught recreationally by family or friends?
Before you go fishing, check your Fishing Regulations Booklet for information about recreationally
caught fish. You can also contact your local health department for information about local
advisories. You need to check local advisories because some kinds of fish and shellfish caught in
your local waters may have higher or much lower than average levels of mercury. This depends on
the levels of mercury in the water in which the fish are caught. Those fish with much lower levels
may be eaten more frequently and in larger amounts.
The Difference Between This Advisory and Previous Advisories
The following highlights the difference between this advisory and previous advisories:
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this advisory emphasizes the positive benefits of eating fish;
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this advisory provides examples of commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury;
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this advisory for the first time specifically addresses canned light tuna and canned albacore (“white”)
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tuna, as well as tuna steaks (in the questions and answers section);
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this advisory recommends not eating any other fish in the same week that 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); and
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this advisory contains a section that addresses frequently asked questions about mercury in fish.
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June 18, 2004
Page 4
The enclosed links are to the FDA/EPA advisory, which includes frequently asked questions; a press release
announcing the advisory; and an FDA Backgrounder that provides information on its development. FDA and
EPA plan to launch a comprehensive outreach and educational campaign to complement release of this advisory.
1)
Press Release http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW1038.html
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2)
Advisory http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html
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3)
Backgrounder http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/mercury/backgrounder.html
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If you have questions, please contact Irene Wimbush at (800) 504-6609 or Irene.wimbush@fldoe.org.
DS/IW/set
