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August 30, 2007

Food for Thought

BY: kim

A New study reveals young pregnant women are the least likely of all to be aware of the FDA/EPA advisory about mercury in fish.

This sad statistic was delivered at the recent 2007 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. In the first nationally representative survey specifically designed to assess effects and awareness of the 2004 advisory, the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency found that many of those targeted in the advisory didn’t know which types of fish to avoid or limit because of mercury.

When asked whether a sign with the advisory information posted at the point of sale would help end this confusion, the FDA scientist thought this was “an excellent idea.”  Fortunately, Oceana has been campaigning to do just that.
Some nutritionists and fish industry alarmists just hate the idea of posting signs. They claim to be afraid that everyone will stop buying and eating all fish if they see or hear about a mercury advisory that targets women of childbearing age and kids.

Well, the results of this study will certainly let the fish industry and the scientists they support sleep better at night. Importantly, the FDA survey found no evidence that knowledge of their advisory scared people away from fish.

So please help us to convince grocers who do not post this vital information to do so now.