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Consumer Group Praises FDA’s Fish and Seafood Advisory
Today’s Methyl
Mercury Advisory for Vulnerable Populations Strikes Proper Balance
Between Benefits, Risks of Seafood, Says National Consumers League
Release Date: March 19, 2004
Contact: 202-835-3323,
media@nclnet.org
Washington
, D.C. —Today, the nation’s oldest
consumer advocacy organization announced its support for the Food and
Drug Administration’s (FDA) revised Dietary Advisory on Methyl Mercury
in Fish and Seafood. The National Consumers League (NCL), an
organization dedicated to educating consumers on issues of health and
safety, has been broadly involved in working with FDA in finding ways to
communicate to consumers the benefits of fish and seafood consumption
while, at the same time, alerting certain vulnerable populations about
the risks associated with consuming too much methyl mercury.
“In light of today’s heightened concern
with nutrition and obesity, it is important that consumers not be scared
away from foods that are safe and healthy for the majority of us.
It is critical that consumers feel
confident in selecting fish and seafood as part of their diet in lieu of
higher fat, higher cholesterol, and higher calorie meats,” said Linda
Golodner, NCL president. “The Food and Drug Administration has done a
service to consumers by highlighting the health and nutritional benefits
of fish and seafood while alerting certain groups about the potential
risks associated with over-consumption of products containing high
levels of methyl mercury.”
Just recently, NCL wrote to Acting FDA
Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, Ph.D., urging the agency to “advise and
inform the public and guide consumers to make safe choices without
scaring or alarming consumers away from proven healthy, low fat, and
often inexpensive seafood products.” NCL believes that FDA has
accomplished that objective by providing a clear and concise message to
the public about the benefits of fish and seafood consumption along with
the risks associated with methyl mercury consumption for certain
vulnerable populations, including women who are pregnant, might become
pregnant, or are nursing, as well as young children.
NCL is pleased FDA differentiated the
types of canned tuna, the most widely consumed seafood product, and
continued to recommend consumption of tuna to consumers, including
smaller amounts (up to six ounces or three albacore sandwiches per week)
for the vulnerable populations.
To learn more about the National Consumers
League work in the areas of health and safety, visit
www.nclnet.org.
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About NCL
The
National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer
consumer organization. Our mission is to identify, protect, represent,
and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers.
NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more
information, visit
www.nclnet.org.
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