For the first time, the Washington State Department of Health has issued a statewide fish advisory: children younger than six and women of childbearing age should avoid fresh tuna, shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel.
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The advisory is the result of a scientific review into the safe levels of mercury in food. In Washington, the limits are about six times more restrictive than those set by the US Food and Drug Administration for the whole country, and fish is the highest source of methylmercury, a toxin that can harm the human nervous system. The fish become contaminated with mercury that exists naturally or is disposed of as industrial or household waste.
Defending what has been seen as an overly cautious stand, Dave McBride, a toxicologist with the health department commented: “What we want to prevent are the more subtle effects of mercury – learning, memory and IQ deficits. Mercury goes into the muscle tissue, so it’s not something you can trim off or cook out.”
McBride is anxious that consumers do not stop eating all fish however: “We want to make sure people don’t turn away from eating fish, because its a healthy source of protein, minerals and nutrients. We want to direct them away from fish we know to be high in mercury.”
The Washington health department, together with the National Research Council, part of the National Academy of Sciences, stated that women of childbearing age should not eat more than 6-ounces of tuna each week, less if they weigh below 135 llbs.
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By GlobalData
