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FDA's Revised Mercury Fish Advisory Not Protective Enough for Women and Children, Say Health, Consumer and Environmental Groups in Letter to FDA |
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WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Mar. 19 -/E-Wire/-- A revised "dietary advisory" for mercury in fish, expected to be released shortly by FDA, is neither science-based nor protective enough for women and children, stated some of the nation's leading health, consumer and environmental groups in a letter recently sent to FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan.
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"While the new advisory is a step in the right direction, it is not protective enough," says Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project and one of the co-signers of the letter. "Following FDA's advice and eating 12 ounces of certain higher mercury fish in a given week could result in exposures well over the EPA reference dose," he points out. "In particular, the advice would inadequately protect sensitive populations from average mercury levels in canned albacore and fresh tuna."
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The revised advisory says albacore can safely be consumed once a week. Yet, based on FDA's own recent test results, which found an average of 0.358 part per million (ppm) mercury in albacore tuna, a single serving would likely result in a weekly exposure well above the EPA's reference dose (RfD, the maximum safe level of exposure, based on a detailed scientific risk assessment), for many consumers.
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"A 22 pound toddler eating only 2 ounces of albacore tuna per week with the average mercury concentration found by FDA, would have an intake nearly 3 times the EPA's RfD," says Bender. "A 130-pound woman who eats 6 ounces of albacore tuna [a serving recommended in FDA's draft advisory] would get one and one half times the RfD."
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In a March 10, 2004 letter to FDA CFSAN Director Robert Brackett, FDA's own Food Advisory Committee also highlighted the importance of addressing the canned tuna issue: "While there are several areas of importance, the first recommendation to address would be that FDA should address the impact of canned tuna on the risk assessment."
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FDA has developed its revised advisory primarily based on input received through focus groups and agency and White House deliberations, and it is not a science-based standard, says Bender. In particular, FDA has expressed no urgency about keeping consumers' doses of mercury within the EPA RfD, which has been reviewed and endorsed by the National Research Council as science-based and appropriately protective.
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And while FDA's latest draft mentions children, advice is still aimed primarily at women of childbearing age. The reference to children is extremely vague—it suggests applying the same guidelines offered for adult women to children, except that the "serving size should be smaller." This is too understated, says Bender. Because of their much smaller body sizes, young children get a much greater mercury dose from even a smaller serving of certain fish, he notes.
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"A lot of fish contain too much mercury for children to eat them at all," Bender stresses. "FDA needs to issue more specific advice, with 'Don't serve to children' guidance based on the mercury content of different fish and related to the child's weight."
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Recent scientific data suggest that the health hazards from mercury in fish and seafood are greater than was previously realized. Fish consumption is the primary source of Americans' exposure to mercury, a toxic metal that can damage the developing brain and may be linked to the risk of heart attack and sudden death. While many health authorities promote fish consumption as beneficial, some fish contain potentially harmful amounts of mercury.
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"More also needs to be done to alert consumers who eat a lot of fish," says Dr. Edward Groth, an independent food safety consultant, who co-signed the letter to FDA. Despite mounting evidence that heavy consumers of fish and seafood are the group at greatest risk, Groth notes that the revised FDA Advisory assumes that nobody will eat more than 12 ounces of fish per week, on average.
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"That's unrealistic," he asserts. "We know there are lots of people—perhaps several percent of the fish-eating population—who routinely eat more than 12 ounces, often much more than 12 ounces, of fish per week. It's simply not acceptable for FDA's advice to ignore this primary population at risk."
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Groth asserts that useful advice must include a list of low-mercury seafood choices—items heavy consumers can choose often without exposing themselves to an excessive dose of mercury. The revised FDA advisory does mention several popular fish and seafood choices that are very low in mercury. Groth explains, "We need to change the tone of advice from a frightening 'warning' to a much more positive 'smart choices' message." People can enjoy the benefits of a high-fish diet while minimizing their mercury exposure, he adds, if they choose low-mercury fish (see attached list). Groups signing on to the letter included Consumers Union of US, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Environmental Trust, Health Care Without Harm, the Sierra Club and a number of individual physicians and scientists. In their letter, the groups urged FDA to post and update detailed information on mercury levels in popular seafood choices on government web sites.
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FDA's revised draft advisory, see: http://www.mercurypolicy.org/new/fdafocusgroup022404.html
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Letter to FDA Commissioner from leading health, consumer and environmental groups: http://www.mercurypolicy.org/new/fdaletter022404.html
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