February 12, 2008
Ask Grocers to Post Mercury Warning Signs
BY: Beth
By now you’ve probably heard the recent flurry of news stories about mercury contamination levels in tuna sushi and other fish. In the last month, Oceana and three other organizations, including the New York Times, have released the results of different tests showing that mercury levels in sushi and other seafood can be extremely high.
In the wake of these new results, fishing industry groups are urging people to eat more fish in spite of the risks of eating mercury-contaminated seafood.
Help us convince the grocery industry’s group to inform shoppers about mercury in fish!
A number of grocery stores, including Kroger, Safeway, and Whole Foods, have joined Oceana’s Seafood Contamination Campaign’s “Green List” by posting signs about mercury in fish at their seafood counters.
Many more should-be converts remain, so we’re asking the grocery industry’s trade group, the Food Marketing Institute, to help make mercury signs at seafood counters an industry standard.
The FDA has issued advice for women of child-bearing age and children to avoid or limit their consumption of certain types of fish because research shows high exposure to mercury can interfere with a child’s language and coordination development and attention span among other things.
Unfortunately, this information isn’t reaching all consumers, as studies have shown that as many as 30 percent of women planning to be or already pregnant do not know mercury in fish could harm their child’s development.
Please encourage the FMI to distribute mercury warning signs to grocery stores!