Concerns over stocks should not affect the UK’s nutritional advice on eating fish, according to Foodvest, the pan-European food group behind the Young’s and Findus brands.
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Earlier this week, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it would review its advice on eating fish amid growing concern over the sustainability of stock and the environmental impact of fishing and fish farming.
The FSA’s current nutritional advice recommends that consumers should be eating more fish and aiming for at least two portions a week, one of which should be oily.
The agency said it would look again at the advice due to anxiety at the levels of some fish stocks.
However, Mike Parker, deputy CEO of Foodvest, said the FSA’s nutritional advice could be met with sustainable fishing.
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By GlobalData“Of course, we acknowledge there are sustainability issues in seafood – we ourselves are heavily involved in many projects to improve long term sustainability through our ‘Fish for Life’ approach,” Parker told just-food today (8 February).
“However, we don’t believe that sustainability issues give the FSA any grounds to review its health advice to consumers on how much fish to eat. There is a large body of evidence to support the ‘Two a Week’ recommendation for a healthy diet, and consumers who wish to follow this advice will also find that there is plenty of sustainably sourced fish readily available in the UK market.
Parker added: “One of the most important oily fish which can be eaten for health is salmon – which when responsibly farmed is entirely sustainable.”
The results of the FSA review are expected to be published by the end of the year.
