News Coverage
Reconsidering a federal fish advisory
Published March 4, 2002
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will reconsider its advice to pregnant women on which fish to avoid, following complaints by environmentalists that industry lobbying kept tuna off of the list.
The agency said that it sees no reason to reverse its decision to keep tuna off the list of fish pregnant women should avoid eating. However, it is asking a panel of independent scientists, known as the Food Advisory Committee, to review the decisions on commercial seafood. "This review will include a re-examination of the FDA's most recent consumer advisory ... for pregnant women and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant," the agency said in a statement.
The Food and Drug Administration advisory warned pregnant or young women to avoid eating four species of fish with the highest levels of methyl mercury – shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish – and to restrict consumption of all fish to 12 ounces a week.
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington interest group, released documents last week showing that the tuna industry lobbied the FDA to keep tuna off the list of fish that pregnant women should avoid for fear that people would stop eating the fish.
The FDA said it believes that decision is based on sound science, and that the consumer advisory was compiled after meeting with "a broad range of interested parties," including industry, consumer and public health officials. FDA officials say they are prepared to defend that stand in the review by the panel of independent scientists, expected to be convened this spring.
Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at the Environmental Working Group, congratulated the FDA for its stand. "We believe the scientific evidence justifies much stronger protection for American women and their babies," she said.
On the Net: www.ewg.org and www.fda.gov