A survey released today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) shows that the advice of our nation's leading health authorities is not necessarily reaching American consumers. The U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) shares the CSPI's concern about the American public's apparent confusion about what seafood they should eat and how often they should eat it.

The nutritional benefits of fish — including canned tuna — are well established. Leading health organizations — ranging from the American Heart Association to the Centers for Disease Control to the U.S. Department of Agriculture — have urged Americans to make fish an essential part of their diet, and in 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a new seafood advisory informing pregnant women and new and expecting mothers how they can receive the benefits of fish while reducing their exposure to mercury levels.

The FDA/EPA guidelines were solely intended for women who are or might become pregnant, women who are nursing and young children. They do not apply to the vast majority of the American public, for whom there are no government suggested limits on seafood consumption. Furthermore, the FDA/EPA government guidelines encourage Americans to eat fish for its nutritional benefits. Yet CSPI's survey indicates confusion not only among the narrow population to whom the advisory is directed, but also among the vast majority of consumers to whom the advisory does not even apply. As a consequence, consumers from all parts of the population may be needlessly avoiding fish because of misinformation or out of confusion.

We believe that this confusion — worsened by the amount of misinformation being spread about the presence and effects of trace amounts of methyl mercury which is found in all seafood — has needlessly scared American consumers away from eating fish like canned tuna that are proven to be high in omega-3 fatty acids and good sources of low-fat, high-quality protein.

To help correct confusion about this issue, American consumers should listen to the advice of the FDA and of their doctors, nutritionists, and health care providers about ways that they can make fish a staple in their diet. Furthermore, the USTF is committed to working with CSPI and others to help ensure that consumers clearly understand the importance of seafood to a healthy and balanced diet.

http://www.tunafoundation.org/mediacenter/2006_releases/7_06_06.html