Urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect woman of childbearing age, pregnant woman and children from the toxic effects of mercury in seafood.

The FDA have released a draft report for public comment, which attempts to average the mercury from seafood exposure across the U. S. population while downplaying the risks to the most vulnerable populations, which are women, children, women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant and people who eat a lot of fish. Using such data to set standards for mercury-in-seafood, or the weakening or removal of the current FDA advisory, would adversely affect the health of millions of Americans, especially children.   

Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin and an estimated 630,000 children born in the US are at risk each year from neurological defects due to mercury contamination.

Send a letter today to the FDA to let them know they need to be doing more to protect the public from mercury-in-seafood and should not consider weakening the current advisories or standards already in place.

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: Public Comment ends April 21st

1.    Click Here
2.    Enter your first & last name under "Submitter Information"
3.    List "Private Citizen" as your “Organization”
4.    Cut and Paste the sample comment letter under "Public Comment or Submission" or write your own 

SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER

Division of Dockets Management (HFA–305),
Food and Drug Administration,
5630 Fishers Lane,
Rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.

Dear FDA Commissioners:

RE: Docket No. FDA–2009–N–0018

I am very concerned about the U. S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) draft report on the risks and benefits of fish that was released for public comment on January 21, 2009. It appears that the FDA is attempting to average the mercury from seafood exposure across the U. S. population while downplaying the risks to the most vulnerable populations, which are women, children, women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant and people who eat a lot of fish. Using such data to set standards for mercury-in-seafood, or the weakening or removal of the current FDA advisory, would adversely affect the health of millions of Americans, especially children. Methylmercury is a known neurotoxin, with children being at greatest risks from its effects. As stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency an estimated 630,000 children born in the US are at risk each year from neurological defects due to mercury contamination.

I believe the FDA should be considering doing more to protect the public from mercury-in-seafood and should certainly not consider weakening the advisories or standards that are in place. Any weakening or removal of the current FDA advisory, would adversely affect the health of millions of Americans, especially children.

I would like to see the FDA take the following actions to further reduce the public’s exposure to mercury in seafood and to ensure consumers are well educated about the risks to enable them to make healthy seafood choices.

• Use the best available and most current science to update and reduce the 35-year-old “action level” for mercury levels in commercial fish sold in the U.S. to at least U. S. EPA’s standard for non-commercial fish at 0.5 parts per million mercury.
• Conduct monitoring and enforcement of the “action level” by testing and not allowing fish that exceeds that level to be sold in the U. S.
• Require seafood companies and retail food establishments to label seafood that may have mercury levels exceeding the FDA safe mercury level. 
• Develop, implement, and enforce a nationally comprehensive consumer advisory warning system, that includes species specific information
• Embark on a public education effort in order to assist people in deciding which fish are healthiest for their diet.

Sincerely,