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Methylmercury Brochure To Print

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Advice for
from the
Nursing Mothers
Young Children
Women Who are Pregnant
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Women Who Might Become Pregnant
.
’
s actions to
A
’
s
Food Safety
A-823-F-04-009
EP
A's mercury website at
or contact your State or Local
.
or visit FDA
. Click on Federal, State, and
s Fish Advisory website
s food information line toll-free at
,
visit EP
.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html
www
.epa.gov/ost/fish
.epa.gov/ost/fish
.epa.gov/mercury
ribal Contacts. For information on EP
For further information about the risks of mercury
in fish and shellfish call the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration’
1-888-SAFEFOOD
website
For further information about the safety of locally
caught fish and shellfish, visit the Environmental
Protection Agency’
www
Health Department. A list of state or local health
department contacts is available at
www
T
control mercury
www
s
otection
s proper growth
et, some fish and
onmental Pr
.
For most people, the risk
.
Envir
A) are advising women who may
, nearly all fish and shellfish contain
The Facts
F
ish and shellfish are an important part of a
healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-
quality protein and other essential nutrients,
are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3
fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes
a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute
to heart health and children’
and development. So, women and young
children in particular should include fish or
shellfish in their diets due to the many
nutritional benefits.
However
traces of mercury
from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is
not a health concern. Y
shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that
may harm an unborn baby or young child’
developing nervous system. The risks from
mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the
amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the
levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish.
Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the
Agency (EP
become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing
mothers, and young children to avoid some
types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are
lower in mercury
By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young
children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced
3 Safety Tips their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.
�� Do not eat:
�� Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a
�� Check local advisories about
• Shark
variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
the safety of fish caught by family
• Swordfish
and friends in your local lakes,
• Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low
• King Mackerel
rivers, and coastal areas.
in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon,
• Tilefish
pollock, and catfish.
They contain high
If no advice is available, eat up to
levels of mercury.
• Another commonly eaten fish, albacore (“white”) tuna
6 ounces (one average meal) per week
has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when
of fish you catch from local waters,
choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may
but don’t consume any other fish
eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna
during that week.
per week.
Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions.
Visit the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Website www�cfsan�fda�gov
v or
the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fish Advisory Website www�epa�gov/ost/fish
h
for a listing of mercury levels in fish�
Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish:
what is mercury?
I don’t see the fish I eat in the advisory.
Mercury occurs naturally in the environment
What should I do?
and can also be released into the air through
If you want more information about the levels in the
industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air
various types of fish you eat, see the FDA food safety
and can accumulate in streams and oceans and
website www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html or the
is turned into methylmercury in the water. It is
EPA website at www.epa.gov/ost/fish.
this type of mercury that can be harmful to your
unborn baby and young child. Fish absorb the
what about fish sticks and fast food
methylmercury as they feed in these waters and
sandwiches?
so it builds up in them. It builds up more in
some types of fish and shellfish than others,
Fish sticks and “fast-food” sandwiches are commonly
depending on what the fish eat, which is why
made from fish that are low in mercury.
the levels vary.
The advice about canned tuna is in the advisory,
I’m a woman who could have children
but what's the advice about tuna steaks?
but I’m not pregnant - so why should I be
Because tuna steak generally contains higher levels of
concerned about methylmercury?
mercury than canned light tuna, when choosing your
two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to
If you regularly eat types of fish that are high in
6 ounces (one average meal) of tuna steak per week.
methylmercury, it can accumulate in your blood
stream over time. Methylmercury is removed
w hat if I eat more than the recommended
from the body naturally, but it may take over a
amount of fish and shellfish in a week?
year for the levels to drop significantly. Thus, it
may be present in a woman even before she
One week’s consumption of fish does not change the
becomes pregnant. This is the reason why
level of methylmercury in the body much at all. If you
women who are trying to become pregnant
eat a lot of fish one week, you can cut back for the
should also avoid eating certain types of fish.
next week or two. Just make sure you average the
I
recommended amount per week.
s there methylmercury in all fish and
shellfish?
w here do I get information about the safety of
fish caught recreationally by family or friends?
Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of
Note:
methylmercury. However, larger fish that have
Before you go fishing, check your Fishing Regulations
If you have questions or
lived longer have the highest levels of
Booklet for information about recreationally caught
think you've been exposed
methylmercury because they’ve had more time
fish. You can also contact your local health department
to large amounts of
to accumulate it. These large fish (swordfish,
for information about local advisories. You need to
methylmercury, see your
shark, king mackerel and tilefish) pose the
check local advisories because some kinds of fish and
doctor or health care
greatest risk. Other types of fish and shellfish
shellfish caught in your local waters may have higher or
provider immediately.
may be eaten in the amounts recommended by
much lower than average levels of mercury. This
FDA and EPA.
depends on the levels of mercury in the water in which
the fish are caught. Those fish with much lower levels
may be eaten more frequently and in larger amounts.