Regarding Federal Dietary Advice On Methyl Mercury In Fish And Seafood
Introduction
Consumers Union (CU) thanks the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration for arranging and hosting this meeting to get stakeholder input on dietary advice with respect to mercury in seafood. We are pleased to participate and to offer you our perspective on this important topic. As the publisher of CONSUMER REPORTS magazine, CU has been giving consumers advice on food safety issues since 1936. We have tested canned tuna and other seafood choices for mercury content many times over the past 50 years. Our reports on these food categories have often examined the risks of methyl mercury exposure, and offered advice on food choices, consistent with the best currently available scientific knowledge. Our Washington Office participated in FDA’s rulemaking on mercury in seafood in the 1970s, and we have maintained our interest in policymaking on this topic over the years. Jean Halloran, the director of our Consumer Policy Institute, took part in your discussion on methyl mercury policy a year ago as a member of the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee. We expect to be actively involved in the process of developing federal dietary advisories on mercury, as your policymaking initiative moves forward from this point. Today we offer you an updated, expanded analysis of appropriate dietary advice on mercury and seafood.
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