GotMercury.org and Mercury Policy Project filed comments today on the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to improve food safety by helping to reduce the risk of mercury exposure through the consumption of fish.
We recommended the Committee take the following steps:
• The FDA should require all fish sellers to post the FDA/EPA mercury- in-fish advisory
• The FDA should update its mercury-in-fish warnings to include clear advice, particularly to women and children on severely limiting their intake of all forms of tuna due to high mercury levels
• The FDA should require labeling of fish that exceeds the action level of 1 part per million
• The FDA should cite reports and case studies of the harmful effects of mercury from consumption of high mercury fish in their mercury-in-fish advisories and communications
• The FDA should engage in a national, long-term public health education program to warn vulnerable populations about mercury in fish
• The FDA should enforce the action level by not allowing fish that exceed the 1 part per million to be sold in the U.S.
• The FDA should improve food safety by requiring mercury testing of fish with rapid testing technology
