FDA warns pregnant women of methyl mercury in fish
women and women of childbearing age about the hazards of consuming
certain kinds of...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week warned pregnant women and women of childbearing age about the hazards of consuming certain kinds of fish that may contain high levels of methyl mercury. The FDA advised these women to avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. The FDA also recommended that nursing mothers and young children should avoid eating these fish. Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish feed off smaller fish and consequently accumulate a build up high levels of methyl mercury that can harm an unborn baby's developing nervous system. The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is to launch a comprehensive education program to reach pregnant women and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and their health care providers concerning the hazard posed by methyl mercury to the unborn child. The Center also intends to develop a public health strategy for future regulation of methylmercury in commercial seafood.
