News Coverage
FDA Mulls Fish Diet for Pregnant Women
Published July 24, 2002
The Food and Drug Administration did not go far enough last year in its advice to pregnant women about which types of fish to avoid, critics charge. So the FDA and its advisers are reviewing the list and are expected to issue a new decision later this week.
The current list includes four types of fish that may contain enough mercury to pose a danger to unborn children -- shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. But some consumer groups say the list should also include other species, notably tuna. One organization, the Environmental Working Group, alleges that the FDA was prepared to add tuna to the list last year, but bowed to pressure from the seafood industry. The FDA denies the allegation.
Tuna steaks, in particular, have only slightly less mercury than swordfish, the consumer groups say. Canned tuna has far less mercury because it is processed from a smaller species, reports the Associated Press.
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 60,000 newborns a year might be at risk of brain damage caused by mercury their mothers ingested during pregnancy, the AP says.