Americans have a right to know what's in their food, and posting warning signs in grocery stores where these fish are sold is a simple, common-sense solution that fulfills that right.
The fact that mercury is consistently found in tuna and swordfish ... is troubling, especially when there's no good communication of that to the public.
If we could just get the stores to post the FDA advice, warning people to avoid swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel, and to limit albacore tuna and tuna steaks to six ounces per week, that would go a long way to help people get the benefits without the risks.
It reaffirms there's a strong connection to ocean fish, but that's not to say non-coastal residents are safe. Alarms should really be sounded for everyone.
Alabama is considering strengthening its standards, which would be a good thing.
The results clearly demonstrate the need for signs in our supermarkets to communicate the FDA advice because people are unknowingly purchasing these high-mercury fish, and women of childbearing age and children may be eating them in spite of the FDA's warning.
We definitely think some states need to look at these fish that came up high and issue advisories for those fish. Fishermen should know which are the high mercury fish. We don't think this study is the final word.
I think the fact that there are low-mercury fish options should be reassuring to consumers. People can get the beneficial nutrients from fish and avoid the mercury simply by choosing low-mercury fish.
