• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

FDA Proposes Government Ignore Mercury Risk in Fish

FishWe all know that eating fish can be good for us. The protein, the Omega 3s, the mercury. Er, well maybe not the mercury. That part can be fairly dangerous actually, especially for children and pregnant women. Yet according the Washington Post the FDA is urging the government to tell us to eat more fish, mercury risks be damned.

If approved by the White House, the FDA’s position would reverse the government’s current policy that certain groups — women of childbearing years, pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children — can be harmed by the mercury in fish and should limit their consumption.

The FDA’s recommendations have alarmed scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency, who in internal memos criticized them as “scientifically flawed and inadequate” and said they fell short of the “scientific rigor routinely demonstrated by EPA.”

It is a bit frightening that the FDA wants to ignore the risks of mercury poisoning from fish. The neurological damage that can happen to fetuses exposed to high levels of mercury is severe. This is why previous limits on the types and amount of fish pregnant women should consume have been put into place. That the FDA would begin their  proposal without consulting with the EPA early in the draft process makes a person wonder if there is some alternative reason for this. And I’m not alone is questioning the FDA.

“This is an astonishing, irresponsible document,” said Richard Wiles, the environmental group’s executive director. “It’s a commentary on how low FDA has sunk as an agency. It was once a fierce protector of America’s health, and now it’s nothing more than a patsy for polluters.”

The most recent statement on fish from both the FDA and the EPA was in 2004. They recommended that no moe than 12 ounces of low mercury fish and shellfish be eaten each week. They advised eating shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish as they are all low mercury, where as Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tilefish should be avoided.

Image: Jean-François Chénier at Flickr under Creative Commons License

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Grandma Kate's Pumpkin Bread Recipe (the perfect, affordable present for friends, teachers and colleagues)
Is Stevia Safe? Not According to the FDA »

Comments

  1. BringYourOwnBags says

    February 27, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    I think the FDA has been eatting too much mercury laced fish- they’ve lost their minds!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. » Pregnancy Cravings - Wired For Noise says:
    February 2, 2009 at 6:01 am

    […] When I was pregnant with Evan all I wanted to eat was tuna fish sandwiches and glasses of pink milk. I managed to keep myself from consuming mass qualities of tuna fish and enduring mercury poisoning, but it was tough. Thank goodness that’s not my weakness this time around with the FDA wanting to increase the amount of fish suggested as “safe” to eat. […]

    Reply
  2. Cheerios Are a Drug, Man : Eat. Drink. Better. says:
    May 28, 2009 at 4:43 am

    […] see: the FDA failed consumers when it came to the peanut-Salmonella outbreak. It recently suggested lifting the fish consumption warnings for children and pregnant women, despite mercury worries (and not to mention the mercury in high fructose corn syrup!). When U.S. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Eco-Friendly Decorating: How Removable Wallpaper Can Reduce Waste

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

More from the archives!

From My Bookshelf-Part 1

Simple, Vegan Kid-Friendly Soup

Five Yummy Recipes To Cook Over The Holidays

How To Choose Non-Toxic Paint and Wallpaper

Beware! USDA Organic Baby Foods Contain GMO DHA and ARA

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Teenage Addiction to Nicotine Negatively Affects Executive Functioning in the Brain

Green Gift Idea: Eco-Friendly Toys Made From Recycled Milk Jugs

H.R. 1599 Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would end states’ rights to label GMO foods

Toxic Disney and the Economy

MLK Day: Remember the Children’s March

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Poll: Recession Promotes More Family Time Over Shopping

“Consumers might be surprised to find out that some of their favorite organic and natural brands, hiding behind their lobbyist, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, are contributing bushel baskets of cash towards thwarting their right to make informed choices in the supermarket,” says Mark Kastel, Cornucopia’s Codirector.

I-522: GMO labeling proponents and opponents revealed

Adventures in Slow Cooking: Vegetarian Split Pea or Lentil Soup Recipe

Every Child Deserves a Set of Blocks

Sweet Treats for Healthy Kids

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.