Revised Joint FDA Revised Joint FDA and EPA Advisory and EPA Advisory David W K A Acheson, FDA James Pende James Pende ergast, EPA ergast, EPA
Current draft revised Current draft revised d joint FDA and EPA d joint FDA and EPA advi sory Major points in response to t the FAC recommendations: 1. The advisory covers both y h commercial and recreational fish and shel ll fish. 2. Advice directed toward t the following: g • Pregnant women • Women who may become y e pregnant p g • Nursing mothers • Young children
Major points in res Major points in res sponse to the FAC sponse to the FAC recomme endations 3. The “Do Not Eat” list i is unchanged (Shark, Swordfish, Tilefish, Ki , , ing Mackerel. g 4. Advice on the amount 4 Advice on the amount (12 oz) of other fish (12 oz) of other fish remains the same. New w language added regarding the recomme regarding the recomme endation to “mix up the endation to mix up the types fish consumed”
Major points in res sponse to the FAC recomme endations 5. Advice on the amount of loc 5. Advice on the amount of loc cally caught fish is the same cally caught fish is the same as the 2001 EPA advice. Ad ddition of new advice about not eating other fish in the s same week as locally caught fish are consumed. fish are consumed 6. Addition of a series of Q an nd A on specific points New information on tuna ad dded to the Q and A section: “Tuna is one of the most fre equently consumed fish in the United States. Mercury leve United States Mercury leve els in tuna vary Tuna steaks els in tuna vary. Tuna steaks and canned albacore tuna ge enerally contain higher levels of mercury than canned lig ght tuna. You can safely include tuna as part of your include tuna as part of your weekly fish consumption ” weekly fish consumption.
Title of Draft Joint Advisory: ADVICE FOR WOMEN W WHO ARE PREGNANT, OR WHO MIGHT BECOME P PREGNANT, AND NURSING MOTHERS, ABOUT AVO OIDING HARM TO YOUR BABY OR YO OUNG CHILD FROM MERCURY IN F FISH AND SHELLFISH.
Draft Joint Adviso f i d i ory has three main h h i elem elem ments ments Risk M Message Consume er Advice Additional I Additional I Information Information
Risk M Message Who is Who is at risk at risk WOMEN WHO AR RE PREGNANT, OR WHO MIGHT BE WHO MIGHT BE ECOME PREGNANT ECOME PREGNANT, NURSING MOTH HERS, AND YOUNG CHI ILDREN
Risk M Ri k M Message (conti inued) Why they y are at risk Fish and shellfish can be e an important part of a balanced diet. It is a goo od source of high quality protein and other nutrien protein and other nutrien nts and is low in fat. The FDA nts and is low in fat. The FDA and EPA are advising pr regnant women and nursing mothers to eat the types a and amounts of fish and shellfish that are safe to p shellfish that are safe to p prevent harm to the prevent harm to the development of their baby y or young child.
Consume er advice Benefits and risk If If you follow advice giv f ll d i i en by b FDA and EPA you will gain the positive benefits of eatin i i b fi f i ng fish fi h but avoid any developm mental problems from mercury bl f y in fish. i fi h
Consume Consume er advice er advice How mu uch fish? To protect your baby follow th hese 3 rules: 1 D 1. Do not eat Shark, Swordfi t t Sh k S dfi fi h Ki fish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish M k l Til fi h because they contain high le evels of mercury
Cons me Consume er advice er ad ice (conti inued) H How mu uch fish? h fi h? To protect your baby follow th To protect your baby follow th hese 3 rules (cont d): hese 3 rules (cont’d): 2. Levels of mercury in other r fish can vary. You can safely eat up to 12 ounces (2 to 3 m eat up to 12 ounces (2 to 3 m meals) of other purchased fish meals) of other purchased fish and shellfish a week. Mix up p the types of fish and shellfish you eat and do not eat the sa ame type of fish and shellfish more than once a week.
Cons me Consume er advice er ad ice (conti inued) H How mu uch fish? h fi h? To protect your baby follow th To protect your baby follow th hese 3 rules (cont’d): hese 3 rules (cont d): 3. Check local advisories ab bout the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your lo family and friends in your lo ocal rivers and streams. If no ocal rivers and streams If no advice is available, you can safely eat up to 6 ounces (one meal) per week of fish you c ) p f f y atch from local waters, but f don’t consume any other fish h during that week. .
Cons me Consume er ad ice er advice (conti inued) How mu H uch fish h fi h Follow these same rules when n feeding fish and shellfish to f g f f your young child, but the serv ving sizes should be smaller.
Additional I Additional I Information Information 1. But I thought fish was good 1 B t I th ht fi h d for me when I am pregnant? d d f h I t? It is, fish and other seafood long have been considered to be good sources of protein wit good sources of protein wit th the added advantage of being th the added advantage of being low in saturated fat and hig h in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, scientists have le However, scientists have le earned that shark, swordfish, king earned that shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish contai in levels of mercury in them that may harm your unborn chil ld. This is why FDA and EPA are advising you to avoid th hese fish. By eating other types of fish in moderation you w will get the health benefits of fish.
Additional I Information 2. What about tuna? Tuna is one of the most fr requently consumed fish in the q y United States. Mercury lev vels in tuna vary. Tuna steaks and canned albacore tuna generally contain higher levels of mercury than canned lig f h d li ght tuna. You can safely h f l include tuna as part of you ur weekly fish consumption.
Additional I Additional I Information Information 3 I 3. Is there methylmercury in al h h l i l ll fi h? ll fish? Nearly all fish contain traces s of methylmercury. However, larger fish that have lived lo larger fish that have lived lo nger have the highest levels of nger have the highest levels of methylmercury because they y've had more time to accumulate it. These large fish (swordfis sh, shark, king mackerel and tilefish) pose the greatest ris sk to pregnant women. Other types of fish are safe to eat i n the amounts recommended by FDA and EPA If you want m FDA and EPA If you want m more information about the more information about the levels in various types of fis h see the FDA food safety web site. www.cfsan.fda.gov or the EPA website at www.epa.gov/ost/fish. / /fi h
Additional I Additional I Information Information 4. I'm not pregnant - so why sh p g y hould I be concerned about methylmercury? If you regularly eat types of f fish that are high in methylmercury it can accum methylmercury, it can accum mulate in your blood stream over mulate in your blood stream over time. Methylmercury is rem moved from the body naturally, but it may take over a year fo or the levels to drop significantly Thus it may be significantly. Thus, it may be e present in a woman even e present in a woman even before she becomes pregnant t. This is one of the reasons why women who are trying to bec come pregnant should also avoid eating certain types of fish. N ti t i t f fi h N Note: If you have questions or Note: If h ti think you've been exposed to o large amounts of methylmercury, see your doc ctor or health care provider immediately. i di t l
Additional I Information 5. Why do I need to get local l advice for locally caught fish? Some kinds of fish and she Some kinds of fish and she ellfish caught in your local ellfish caught in your local waters may have higher or r much lower than average levels of mercury. This de epends on the levels of mercury in the water in which the fi fish are caught. Those fish with lower levels may be safely y eaten more frequently and in larger amounts. l t
Additional I Information 6. How can learn about local advisories? Before you go fishing, che eck your Fishing Regulations Booklet for information ab Booklet for information ab bout local advisories. You can bout local advisories You can also contact your local hea alth department for information about local advisories. See e below for state and tribal contact information. contact information Note: If you have question ns or think you've been exposed to large amounts of methyl g y lmercury, see your doctor or y, y health care provider immed diately.
Additional I Information 7. What is mercury? Mercury occurs naturally i in the environment and can also be released into the air thro be released into the air thro ough industrial pollution. It ough industrial pollution It falls from the air and can a accumulate in streams and oceans and is turned into m methylmercury in the water. It is this type of mercury that is this type of mercury that t is harmful to your baby Fish t is harmful to your baby. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters and so it may build up in th he fish. It builds up more in some types of fish than oth some types of fish than oth hers, depending on what the hers depending on what the fish eat, which is why the l levels in the fish vary.
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