GotMercury.Org Calculator for Mercury in Fish

Benihana Urged to Post Correct Mercury Advisories

2006-11-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

Benihana Urged to Post Correct Mercury Advisories
Health and Environmental Groups Call for Accurate Federal Mercury Advisory Signs

FOREST KNOLLS, CA (November 29, 2006) - Benihana Restaurants Inc., which includes RA Sushi and Haru Sushi restaurants, began posting mercury advisory signs nationally that misinform women and children about the risks of mercury in seafood. GotMercury.Org has urged Benihana since March 2006 to post signs after testing mercury levels of tuna served at Benihana and its affiliated restaurants. In August 2006, Benihana began posting signs that misstate the FDA and EPA's 2004 mercury warnings for women and children.

"Tuna sushi tested at Benihana, Haru Sushi, and RA Sushi across the country showed mercury levels unsafe for many of the families who dine there," said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. "Benihana posts signs in California that carry the correct mercury advisories, but the restaurant chain has refused to post similar signs for all their customers. This is despite a national trend for supermarkets and restaurants to educate consumers so customers can make informed decisions."

GotMercury.Org has tested mercury in tuna sushi in major US cities since January 2006 after FDA reports showed the tuna species served as sushi, sashimi, and `ahi had high average mercury levels. GotMercury.Org tested 31 tuna sushi samples at Benihana locations in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Washington, DC. The key findings from these studies showed:

* About 10 percent of samples were near or above the FDA action level of 1.0 ppm of mercury - the level at which the FDA is empowered to remove fish from the marketplace as unsafe for consumers.
* Overall, tuna sushi from Benihana, Ra Sushi, and Haru Sushi averaged 0.449 ppm - higher than mercury levels allowable under Japan's strict 0.4 ppm standard.
* About 1 in 5 tuna samples (6 out of 31) exceeded the levels of king mackerel (0.730 ppm), which the FDA and EPA warn women who are pregnant, nursing, or intend to become pregnant and children not to eat.
* One tuna sample was 1.719 ppm or 172 percent of the maximum advised exposure for any consumer.

A study estimated that mercury exposure causes $8.7 billion in annual costs to the US due to lower IQs and other health problems caused by methylmercury, the neurotoxin found in some fish. Methylmercury is most dangerous to the development of the brain and nervous system in infants and children. Tuna, like other fish that are long-lived and grow large, bioaccumulate methylmercury as goes up the food chain.

"All Benihana, RA Sushi, and Haru Sushi locations should post a mercury-in-fish advisory sign like their California locations do," Saddler stated. "A coalition of health and environmental groups is urging Benihana to provide the same signs nationally that they already post in California."

California Communities Against Toxics, Clean Air Council, Environment Illinois, Mercury Policy Project/Zero Mercury Working Group, Rhode Island Clean Water Action, Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, and Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE) joined GotMercury.Org to ask Benihana to correct its mercury-in-fish advisory signs in a November 28, 2006 letter to Benihana President and CEO Joel Schwartz.

In addition to the 76 Benihana locations nationwide, Benihana Restaurants Inc operates 7 Haru restaurants (New York City, NY and Philadelphia, PA) and 13 RA Sushi restaurants (Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and Texas). Miami-based Benihana Restaurants Inc. is the largest restaurant chain that features sushi.

About GotMercury.Org
GotMercury.Org is a public health education campaign to protect consumers from mercury in seafood and to make healthier, safer choices. GotMercury.Org is an online calculator that uses the EPA formula for mercury exposure with the FDA published data on seafood mercury levels. The GotMercury.Org campaign has worked to increase posting of mercury-in-seafood advisories in restaurants and supermarkets, first in California under Proposition 65 and later through partnerships and grassroots consumer efforts to persuade Safeway, Albertson's, and other supermarkets to post signs nationally. GotMercury.Org's campaign led to Safeway posting mercury advisories nationally in 2005. In November 2006, Bon Appétit Management Company, in partnership with GotMercury.Org launched a national campaign to educate 200,000 consumers daily in their 400 cafés in 29 states. GotMercury.Org has tested mercury in sushi tuna across the US, receiving national and international media attention about the risks to consumers.

Available Resources:

1. Letter to Benihana by Health and Environmental Groups: http://GotMercury.Org/benihana/benihanaletter20061128.pdf
2. Benihana August 2006 press release on their mercury advisories: http://www.benihana.com/press_releases_detail.asp?id=178
3. GotMercury.Org's Report on Mercury in Benihana's Tuna Sushi: http://GotMercury.Org/benihana/benihanareport.pdf
4. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish: http://GotMercury.Org/fda
5. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from seafood: http://GotMercury.Org
6. B-roll of mercury in seafood images.
7. Electronic Press Kit: http://GotMercury.Org/press or http://GotMercury.Org/info
8. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.

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USDA Urged to Drop Canned Tuna from WIC Program

2006-10-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 31, 2006

Contact: Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA – Public Health Analyst for GotMercury.Org, (415) 488-0370 x.104, eli@gotmercury.org

Health Groups Urge USDA to Drop Canned Tuna from WIC

GotMercury.Org Supporters Ask for Low-Mercury Canned Fish Alternatives for Mothers

FOREST KNOLLS, CA (October 31, 2006) — Health groups around the country are urging the USDA to no longer offer canned tuna in the WIC program because of mercury risks. WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children run by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), currently exposes breastfeeding mothers and their nursing infants to mercury in canned tuna when healthier options exist. The health groups are urging this recommendation during the USDA comment period on WIC food package changes, which ends next week on November 6.

"The USDA should take commonsense precautionary measures to avoid exposing mothers who breastfeed and their nursing infants from the high and varying levels of mercury in canned tuna," said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. "Low-income families deserve canned wild salmon, mackerel, anchovies, or sardines that the FDA reports have a fraction of the mercury that even light tuna contains. No one needs pollution on their plate when there are healthier alternatives."

The USDA estimates that about 252,572 women exclusively breastfeed as part of WIC's Food Package VII program. Canned fish is included as an incentive for breastfeeding mothers. The USDA plans to increase the canned fish amount from 26 ounces a month to 30 ounces a month. While the USDA plans to end the use of canned albacore tuna because of mercury risks, it is still considering the use of light tuna in the program. There are no federal standards regulating what can be sold as "light tuna" so it can refer to lower-mercury skipjack tuna, but can also include high-mercury yellowfin or bigeye tuna.

The Institute of Medicine estimated that there is only a two-cent difference per ounce between canned tuna and canned salmon, demonstrating a small investment would give mothers more Omega-3 fatty acids and with limited mercury exposure. Scientists estimate that mercury exposure causes billions of dollars in annual costs to the US due to lower IQs and other health problems caused by methylmercury, the organic neurotoxin found in some fish. Tuna, like other fish that are long-lived and grow large, bioaccumulate methylmercury as goes up the food chain.

GotMercury.Org has been organizing consumers to submit their comments before November 6 at http://GotMercury.Org/WIC so that mothers and infants can have healthier canned fish options and that the USDA will remove canned tuna from the WIC program.

"The public has sent hundreds of emails to the USDA asking them to stop putting low-income moms and infants at risk of mercury exposure by only offering canned tuna," Saddler continued. "When healthier and sometimes cheaper options are available, all taxpayers should speak out to end subsidizing tuna companies while continuing an environmental injustice to low-income families."

GotMercury.Org has made the following requests to the USDA regarding canned fish in the WIC Food Package VII program:

1. Removal of all canned tuna from the WIC program.

2. Require states to offer alternative canned fish options without the ability to opt out.

3. Require states to provide mercury-in-seafood education to empower mothers to make informed decisions about the risks of mercury and the benefits of healthy seafood choices.

Available Resources:

1. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from seafood: http://GotMercury.Org

2. B-roll of mercury in seafood images.

3. Electronic Press Kit: http://GotMercury.Org/press or http://GotMercury.Org/info

4. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.

5. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish: http://GotMercury.Org/fda

About GotMercury.Org

GotMercury.Org is a public health education campaign to protect consumers from mercury in seafood and to make healthier, safer choices. GotMercury.Org is an online calculator that uses the EPA formula for mercury exposure with the FDA published data on seafood mercury levels. The GotMercury.Org campaign has worked to increase posting of mercury-in-seafood advisories in restaurants and supermarkets, first in California under Proposition 65 and later through partnerships and grassroots consumer efforts. GotMercury.Org's campaign last year led to Safeway posting mercury advisories nationally. In November, Bon Appétit Management Company, in partnership with GotMercury.Org will launch a national campaign to educate consumers in their 400 cafés nationally. GotMercury.Org has tested mercury in sushi tuna across the US, receiving national and international media attention about the risks to consumers.

Bon Appétit Management Company Launches Industry’s first Mercury Awareness Campaign

2006-10-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Bon Appétit Management Company Launches Industry’s first Mercury Awareness Campaign

In partnership with GotMercury.Org, national food service provider protects fish eaters from mercury

PALO ALTO, CA (October 16, 2006) — Do you love fish, but wonder if it is safe to eat? Now, diners across the country can find out about the safety of their fish. Bon Appétit Management Company announces the food service industry’s first informational campaign to advise diners of the risk of eating seafood containing high levels of mercury.

Starting November 15^th, signage in all 400 Bon Appétit cafés around the country will direct fish eaters to the GotMercury.Org calculator, which they can use to gauge their personal mercury exposure and intake risk.

While medical experts agree that seafood is a healthful dietary choice, certain fish species contain toxic levels of mercury, which is especially harmful to developing fetuses and children and may also cause health problems for adults. And since mercury contaminates oceans and lakes around the world, no product is guaranteed to be immune – no matter the price: canned tuna is one of the worst culprits. Young children, pregnant women, and women of childbearing age fall into the highest-risk category, and due to a lack of regulation and public information, many people unknowingly put themselves in danger.

Bon Appétit and GotMercury.Org aim to change that. Bon Appétit, a leader in sustainable sourcing policies, is the first food service provider to ring the alarm bell, even going beyond the general warnings required by the State of California to ensure that every single one of their guests has the knowledge to make healthy fish choices.

"Bon Appétit should be praised as a leader in the food service industry because of its proactive work to educate customers with information to protect their health from mercury in seafood." Said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. Saddler added, "GotMercury.Org is excited about working with Bon Appétit to provide our mercury-in-seafood calculator for consumers to determine how much seafood is safe to eat and to learn about making healthier choices."

“Americans deserve to know the truth about what’s in their food,” said Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company. “We serve over 200,000 guests a day in our cafes, many of them college age women of childbearing age. Their health remains our first priority. The mercury calculator ensures that guests can get this critical information about fish to make informed decisions.”

Dr. Peter Orris, Professor and Chief of Service, Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois Medical Center, commends Bon Appétit for the campaign, and urges other cafes and restaurants to follow their example. “Adjusting eating habits to improve our health is very difficult, especially as we hear conflicting reports about diet and nutrition. Bon Appétit’s mercury warning is immensely helpful both for individuals and as a broader public health initiative.”

The GotMercury.Org calculator, based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, calculates the portions of fish that are safe to eat based on body weight. Additionally, the GotMercury.Org website offers information on recent studies and answers common questions from fish eaters.

“Sustainable seafood should also mean healthy seafood, and Bon Appétit will provide customers with the knowledge they need to protect their health and the health of our oceans, said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org.

Bon Appétit is no stranger to leading the industry in socially responsible operations. In 2002, it became the first restaurant company to pledge to protect our oceans by signing on, in all of its cafés, to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines for sustainability. Other Bon Appétit conservation and animal welfare projects include company-wide initiatives to buy from local and organic producers, reduce antibiotic use on meat farms, and purchase cage-free shell eggs. In its supportive role for GotMercury.Org, Bon Appétit demonstrates its commitment not only to environmental sustainability, but to personal health.

About Bon Appétit Management Company

Bon Appétit Management Co. is an onsite restaurant company offering full food service management to corporations, universities and specialty venues. Bon Appétit is committed to sourcing local, sustainable food supplies for all of its cafés throughout the country. A pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies, Bon Appétit has developed programs with Environmental Defense, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, and other leading conservation organizations. Based in Palo Alto, CA. Bon Appétit has more than 400 cafés in 29 states, including Yahoo!, American University and the Getty Center. www.bamco.com

About GotMercury.Org

GotMercury.Org is part of Turtle Island Restoration Network’s efforts to protect the environment and the public from mercury. Because of the ubiquitous nature of mercury in our environment and because federal and state public health agencies are not doing enough to raise public awareness and protect the public from mercury, we developed GotMercury.Org, an online tool that takes the mystery out of which seafood is safe to eat regarding to the presence of mercury and allows consumers to make informed choices about eating seafood.

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Toxic Mercury Taints Tuna in Chicago Sushi Restaurants

2006-08-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Toxic Mercury Taints Tuna in Chicago Sushi Restaurants

Findings Suggest Women and Children Should Avoid Tuna

http://GotMercury.Org/ChicagoSushi

Chicago, IL – An investigation of tuna served in Chicago sushi restaurants adds to a recent stream of bad news about high levels of mercury in store bought tuna, locally-caught sport fish and other seafood available to Illinoisans. Fourteen of 20 tuna sushi samples tested, or 70 percent, exceeded Illinois EPA’s special advisory threshold—the mercury contamination level at which the agency recommends women and children eat no more than one serving of fish per month. More than one in seven sushi tuna samples contained dangerous concentrations of mercury exceeding that of king mackerel, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns women and children never to eat.

“Governments should require advisories to be posted in restaurants and stores where tuna is sold,” said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. “Mercury advisory signs will educate Illinois families about mercury risks. Tuna sold as sushi, sashimi, and `ahi are consistently high in mercury and women should avoid it for the sake of their children—especially pregnant or nursing mothers or women who intend to become pregnant. With healthier seafood choices like wild salmon or tilapia available, why take the risk?"

"Mercury contamination is a toxic threat to food safety in Illinois. While building consumer awareness is imperative in the short term, the only long-term solution is to cut off mercury pollution at its source,” said Max Muller, Environmental Advocate for Environment Illinois. “In Illinois, the main sources are coal burning power plants and the improper disposal of products containing mercury. Whether it’s locally caught sport fish, canned tuna, or fresh tuna in sushi rolls, recent revelations of mercury contamination in fish in Illinois highlight the need to clean up mercury pollution as much as possible and as soon as possible.”

The health harms of mercury are well known: mercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in animals and the environment. Fetuses and young children are particularly vulnerable as mercury poisons the developing brain, causing delayed development, memory and attention problems, decreased IQ and mental retardation. Higher doses similarly impair adults and can also increase the risk of heart attacks. It is estimated that up to 100,000 Illinois women have sufficiently high blood-mercury levels to put an unborn child at risk of developmental problems. People get most of their mercury from eating fish—and now tuna sushi, like canned tuna and many local sport fish, has been shown to be contaminated with too much mercury to be eaten safely on a regular basis.

For the report, Environment Illinois teamed up with GotMercury.Org to collect and test twenty samples of tuna sushi from ten of Chicago’s top sushi restaurants selected from the popular Zagat Survey dining guide. Findings detailed in the full report, Toxic Tuna, include that Chicago tuna sushi samples contained an average mercury concentration of 0.446 ppm—about 15 percent higher than the mercury content (0.383 ppm) of fresh and frozen tuna reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on reports showing varying levels of mercury in canned tuna, including supposedly lower mercury canned light tuna, the Consumer Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, recommended in July that pregnant women avoid eating all tuna.

Moreover, the Toxic Tuna analysis showed high variability in mercury among the tested samples, with more than 10% of the tuna samples contained levels of mercury that shouldn’t be eaten by any consumer—man, woman, or child—because they exceed the FDA’s “actionable level” of mercury (1.0 ppm). The actionable level is the legal limit for fish sold in the United States; when fish exceed the actionable level, the FDA can remove them from store shelves because of the health threat posed.

“Without better FDA action to protect public health, consumers need to be able to make informed decisions about healthier seafood choices. The easiest and cheapest way is through posting mercury advisories,” said Saddler. “Consumers will continue to eat sushi and fish when provided the government advisories. Mandatory mercury advisories in California have not harmed businesses, but have helped families protect themselves. In fact, seafood consumption is at an all-time high according to the federal government.”

“The health effects of mercury are well established. These findings should steer women away from this sushi,” said Dr. Peter Orris, Professor and Chief of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois Medical Center. “Mercury contamination is a serious social issue, even for women who are only considering getting pregnant. Exposure of the fetus is dangerous, but all too frequent, and its impacts in all likelihood burden both our education and health care systems. If we fail to reduce the sources of this pollution, personal tragedies and yearly billions in costs to society will continue to mount.”

Illinois has been the site of several recent revelations about dangerous levels of mercury in fish. In December, the Chicago Tribune broke a nationally reported news story revealing U.S. EPA and FDA’s failure to systematically monitor and warn consumers about mercury in canned tuna and other fish available in stores. In April, Environment Illinois issued a report showing that the average sport fish tested in 36 Illinois counties, 66 individual lakes and streams, and 16 fish species exceeds the U.S. EPA safe limit for a woman of average weight who eats fish twice per week.

Illinois policy makers have responded with proposals to notify consumers and prevent mercury pollution at the local, state, and national levels. An Illinois EPA rule to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants will likely come before a legislative committee for final approval in October. In July, Illinois Senator Barrack Obama introduced two bills in Congress to prohibit the export of mercury and phase out its use in certain industrial processes. State Representative Harry Osterman and Chicago Alderman Ed Burke have championed initiatives to require the labeling of mercury-containing fish in grocery stores. However, aside from a bill sponsored last session by State Representative Karen May to recycle mercury-containing automobile switches, none of these measures has yet been adopted.

"Illinois is making progress in eliminating this dangerous toxin from our environment, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done," said Representative May (D-Highland Park). "Until we curtail all major sources of mercury pollution, we are knowingly endangering the healthy development of Illinois children. I along with other Illinois leaders have proposed common sense steps to significantly reduce mercury pollution locally, nationally, and globally. This report proves that we need redouble our efforts to protect Illinoisans.”

View the full report at http://GotMercury.Org

WIC, Breastfeeding, & Mercury in Tuna

2006-08-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today ends WIC National Breastfeeding Week. WIC is the national food supplement program for low-income mothers and children. Unfortunately, the WIC program may force women to expose themselves and their children to mercury in canned tuna.

Encouraging women to breastfeed is a laudable goal of the US Department of Agriculture, but proposed regulations will not go far enough to protect mothers from mercury in canned tuna, which is offered to exclusively breastfeeding mothers. The regulations will likely let the states - not mothers - decide if canned salmon should be an alternative.

Mercury is potent neurotoxin that is unhealthy for mothers and children. Canned tuna tests show significant amounts of mercury that can vary widely. Tests have found that canned tuna can contain yellowfin tuna, which averages 300% more mercury than light tuna. These unpredictable mercury levels prompted Consumer Reports to advise pregnant women to avoid canned tuna entirely.

FDA testing found no detectable mercury in canned salmon. Health groups are calling upon the USDA to require states to allow canned salmon as an alternative for breastfeeding mothers. Women, not state officials concerned about saving about 50 cents per can, should decide for themselves what is appropriate while breastfeeding. Mothers can benefit from seafood without the risk of mercury exposure if states offer canned salmon. Struggling low-income mothers deserve the freedom to choose safer seafood.

All mothers should be concerned about mercury in seafood. At http://GotMercury.Org, consumers can educate themselves by using our mercury-in-seafood calculator. You can estimate what the federal government has determined how much seafood is safe for you to consume in a week.

Ask Benihana to Protect Women & Children from Mercury in Seafood

2006-07-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

http://GotMercury.Org/benihana

Ask Benihana to Protect Women & Children from Mercury in Seafood
Tell Benihana that ALL women and children deserve the right to know and that toxic swordfish should not be served in its restaurants. http://GotMercury.Org/benihana

We need your help to persuade Benihana to start posting mercury-in-seafood advisories for all its customers, not just for Californians. Additionally, we are asking Benihana to stop serving swordfish at its restaurants because of high mercury levels. Please go to http://GotMercury.Org/benihana and send a quick letter today.

Background:

Benihana is the largest national restaurant chain that sells sushi. Benihana’s company also includes Ra Sushi and Haru Sushi amongst its 72 restaurants. Benihana posts mercury-in-seafood warning signs in its California restaurants, but refuses to post similar advisories at all its restaurants nationwide. Required under California law, mercury advisories are protecting women and children from fish high in mercury, such as swordfish and tuna. Our testing of Benihana sushi has found unsafe levels of mercury in tuna.

Please also ask Benihana to stop serving swordfish and to warn customers about mercury in tuna and other seafood. Federal warnings tell women and children not to eat swordfish because of its high levels of mercury and other toxins.

Please contact Benihana today and urge them to protect women and children: http://GotMercury.Org/benihana

The Need for Mercury Signs:

The FDA reported that between 30 and 50 percent of women of childbearing years were not aware of the risks of mercury in seafood. A recent poll found that 30 percent of high-risk women did not know about the dangers of mercury in certain fish. Many consumers are confused even when they know of the problem. Point-of-sale mercury advisories are a cheap, simple method for directly educating consumers to make informed decision. Unfortunately, the government relies on the internet to spread the word.

Benihana admits that their business is unaffected by California mercury advisories and many supermarkets, such as Safeway and Wild Oats, voluntarily post signs in all their stores nationwide. Tell Benihana, you think their customers should be able to make informed decisions as well: http://GotMercury.Org/benihana

Other Actions You Can Take:

There is much more you can do to help reduce unnecessary mercury exposure caused by seafood consumption.

Visit http://GotMercury.Org today and calculate how much seafood is safe for you to eat in a week. Please pass it along to friends and family. Remember – do not eat tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel.
Call or write your Senator to stop S.3128. Find your senator’s contact information at http://GotMercury.Org/senate and tell them to oppose Senate Bill 3128, “The National Uniformity for Food Act of 2006”, which would take away state rights to provide strong public health and food safety warns, including mercury advisories. Learn more: http://GotMercury.Org/sb3128
Get tested for mercury in your body. At http://GotMercury.Org/testing you can order a test kit and determine your mercury levels from seafood consumption.
Support out work. Please donate at http://www.gotmercury.org/english/support.htm to support our work to educate the public about mercury in fish and shellfish.

Toxic Tuna in Sushi from San Diego and Los Angeles

2006-05-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

San Diego Sushi Tuna Found High in Mercury
Toxic Tuna Trend Means Women and Children Must Avoid Tuna

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2006

CONTACT: Eli Saddler, Public Health Analyst
GotMercury.Org; Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; E-mail: eli@gotmercury.org

San Diego, CA – A recent undercover investigation of San Diego’s top sushi restaurants is adding to the bad news about high levels of mercury in tuna. The investigation found that 1 in 5, or 20 percent, of the tuna tested had dangerous levels exceeding that of king mackerel, which the FDA warns women and children to never eat. The public health group GotMercury.Org in partnership with San Diego KGTV television news secretly tested 20 pieces of tuna sushi from 10 of San Diego’s top sushi restaurants in April.

The San Diego investigation follows on the heels of GotMercury.Org’s investigation of Los Angeles sushi in March 2006, which created international concern after a Los Angeles Times article.

"We are seeing a toxic trend here in California," said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.org. "Families in San Diego and across the nation need to know the risks of eating tuna sushi and avoid it for the sake of their children. With so many healthier seafood choices available, why take the risk?"

The FDA data reports that fresh and frozen tuna averaged 0.383 ppm, significantly lower than GotMercury.Org's results showed an average of 0.584 from 32 samples in San Diego and Los Angeles – over 150 percent of the mercury levels reported by the FDA. Overall, 25 percent of tuna tested in the two cities exceeded the federal advisory level for women and children. About 16 percent of the tuna tested – 1 in 6 tuna sushi – should not have been eaten by any consumer – man, woman, or child.

“In our combined studies, 1 out of 4 tuna sushi tested exceeded what is considered safe by the federal government,” said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. “This new round of testing affirms the need for women of childbearing age and children to avoid tuna served as sushi, sashimi, or ahi.”

The FDA and EPA already warn women and children not to eat king mackerel (0.730 ppm), swordfish (0.970 ppm), shark (0.988 ppm), and tilefish (1.45 ppm). However, the FDA advisory on tuna is confusing and weak regarding tuna and differs from the calculations used by the EPA.

"Mercury contamination is a serious issue for pregnant women, children, and women who are even considering getting pregnant," said Erin Thompson of Women's Voices for the Earth. "Women buy tuna for themselves and their children. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that women be informed about what types of tuna to avoid, and it the responsibility of the FDA to provide this information."

Consumers are at risk by eating tuna sushi or sashimi and should be aware of the risks, especially women who are or intend to become pregnant, nursing mothers, and children. Children developing in the womb and young children are particularly vulnerable to methylmercury, the toxic organic form found in fish, because it can harm neurological development – resulting lower IQ, nervous system damage, cardiovascular ailments, and motor skill problems.

“Sushi can be part of a healthy diet, but consumers need to know that too much tuna can be toxic,” said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. “Given that samples vary widely in mercury levels, there is no way to know how much methylmercury you are ingesting when you eat tuna sushi, sashimi, or ahi.”

GotMercury.Org is a free, online mercury-in-seafood calculator that was recently revised to include the FDA’s 2006 mercury in fish and shellfish data. GotMercury.Org educates consumers on healthier seafood choices by using the EPA and FDA data to calculate how much seafood consumption is safe in a given week.

Available Resources:

1. San Diego sushi report: http://GotMercury.Org/sandiegosushi
2. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from seafood: http://GotMercury.Org
3. Revised 2006 FDA mercury in fish and shellfish data: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html
4. B-roll of mercury in seafood images.
3. Electronic Press Kit: www.gotmercury.org/press or www.gotmercury.org/info
4. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.
5. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA, Public Health Analyst
GotMercury.Org/TIRN, PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933
Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

GotMercury.org is a project of the Mercury Education and Response Campaign (MERC) of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN). TIRN is a California-based public health advocacy and marine conservation nonprofit that educates the public about mercury in seafood, protects California Coho salmon populations, and works to protect sea turtles and other marine species in the United States and in countries worldwide. For more information about TIRN, please visit: www.seaturtles.org

Toxic Tuna in Los Angeles Sushi

2006-03-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fish6mar06,0,504849,full.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Group Warns of Toxic Tuna
Tests on sushi from L.A.-area eateries raise questions about FDA mercury monitoring.
By Jerry Hirsch
Times Staff Writer

March 6, 2006

Tuna is arguably the most popular offering at sushi bars. Many customers like slices of blood-red fish slathered in a spicy wasabi sauce. Others prefer the more simple nigiri style, which is sliced tuna over rice.

But now a public health advocacy group is warning about the safety of tuna sushi and questioning the Food and Drug Administration's system of monitoring the mercury levels in fish, based on tests on a small sample of such delicacies at Los Angeles restaurants.

The group, GotMercury.org, purchased sushi from five top Zagat-rated restaurants in Southern California and from the Benihana Inc. chain in late January. Instead of eating the orders, the Forrest Knolls, Calif.-based organization took the fish for testing at CRG Marine Laboratories in Torrance.

The mercury levels of the 12 tuna samples averaged about double the FDA standard, and a quarter of the orders were near or above the limit where the agency says fish should not be sold, said Eli Saddler, a public health analyst and attorney for GotMercury.org.

"Eating sushi has become the new Russian roulette," Saddler said.

The advocacy group focused on sushi because the popular food has become one of the largest sources of fresh tuna consumption. Saddler believes this is the first time an independent group has attempted to monitor mercury levels in sushi.

The samples came from some of Southern California's toniest restaurants — Matsuhisa, Sushi Katsu-ya, Sushi Sasabune, HamaSaku and Sushi Nozawa. GotMercury.org also went to Benihana in Santa Monica because it's part of a large national chain where sushi is featured.

"Our testing shows a pattern of mercury levels being significantly higher than what the FDA reports," Saddler said.

Mercury, which is linked to reduced brain development in fetuses and young children, is found in at least trace levels in nearly all fish.

The FDA and Environmental Protection Agency have warned that women who may become pregnant and young children shouldn't eat certain high-mercury fish, including swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel. They should also limit their consumption of tuna, the agencies have said.

Increasing concern about mercury in fish has pushed some in the food industry to advocate improved testing.

Last week, Micro Analytical Systems Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., and Clackamas, Ore.-based wholesaler Pacific Seafood Group began a test venture to provide fish certified to be low in mercury to Holiday Quality Foods, a small grocery chain in rural Northern California.

The venture uses a rapid-testing device developed by Micro Analytical that takes minutes rather than days to determine how much mercury is in a fish sample. In most instances, only fish that tests below the median mercury level in the FDA database — for yellowfin tuna, that's 0.27 part per million — gets the venture's Safe Harbor label, indicating that it is a low-mercury filet.

Aliso Viejo hairdresser Christopher Bliss used to eat sushi as often as twice weekly. But when his wife Valerie became pregnant two years ago, they gave it up because they were worried about the mercury content of the fish.

"Now we eat it once a month. I don't think that's enough to worry about," Bliss said. Still, they have enough concern not to feed it to Ava, their 18-month-old daughter.

Susan Pasarow of Studio City likes to eat at Sushi Katsu-ya, not far from her home.

"They are the best," Pasarow said. "I like to order all the yummy rolls." And she gets lots of items with tuna.

Pasarow wasn't happy to learn that Katsu-ya fish had the highest mercury concentrations among the 12 samples, but said she was aware of the problems of mercury in fish.

"That's why I hesitate to have sushi very often. I go maybe once a month or once every other month," Pasarow said.

The two samples from Sushi Katsu-ya in Studio City came back with mercury concentrations of 1 part per million and higher, above the FDA's threshold for mercury in any seafood species, Saddler said. One sample from Sushi Nozawa, also in Studio City, came back just shy of the limit, Saddler said.

Neither restaurant responded to calls asking about the tests. Representatives of Benihana and Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills declined to comment on the findings. And HamaSaku in Los Angeles had Young Kim of Ocean Group Inc., its tuna provider, return the call.

"We are just a wholesaler, we don't monitor for mercury," Kim said.

Saddler said he didn't blame the restaurants for the problem.

"I know this is the way the fish comes in, but they should do a better job of warning customers," Saddler said.

That's the practice of Nobi Kusuhara, chef and owner of Sushi Sasabune in West Los Angeles. He said it's well known that tuna and swordfish have high mercury levels and he regularly warns pregnant customers not to order those fish.

"We would like to be able to get fish that has been tested for mercury," Kusuhara said. "That would be good for the customer and would be good for us."

Kusuhara said there was no system for regularly and rapidly checking the mercury concentrations of what's for sale at the local fish market and at Southern California wholesalers. The FDA and other health regulators should have a more rigorous testing system, he said.

Saddler said the yellowfin samples culled from the Southern California restaurants had a median mercury concentration of 0.82 ppm, not far from the FDA limit. The testing methodology used by CRG is similar to what the FDA uses, said Richard Gossett, CRG's laboratory manager.

"A child or a woman eating even one 2-ounce sushi order with the amounts of mercury found in some of the tuna we tested could exceed what the FDA considers safe," Saddler said.

The test results might be coming in higher than expected because the fish prized for sushi are older, larger tuna that have had years of ocean hunting to build up their mercury levels, Saddler said. Younger and smaller fish probably would contain less mercury.

Nonetheless, Saddler said the results highlighted flaws in the FDA's fish monitoring program. The agency does limited fish testing, and instead puts its efforts into informing the public about the hazards of high-mercury fish species.

David Acheson, the FDA's chief medical officer, said the agency hadn't advocated large-scale testing of fish because of the enormous time and expense such an endeavor would take.

Moreover, current regulations don't give the FDA much leverage in trying to prevent the sale of fish containing 1 ppm or more of mercury, he said. To take action, the agency has to prove that the particular fish had too much mercury and the consumption of that fish would be harmful. Acheson said there was little chance the FDA would be able to prove in a courtroom that an individual fish was harmful.

Saddler said that now that companies such as Micro Analytical are starting to develop rapid and inexpensive testing systems, the FDA should push for increased monitoring.

His organization also wants restaurants and grocery stores to stop selling the species known to be highest in mercury and that frequently exceed the FDA maximum threshold unless seafood suppliers provide proof that fish being sold don't exceed the FDA's limits.

As a branch of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, GotMercury.org previously has pushed for policy changes involving fish and mercury in California. It was one of the groups that persuaded California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer to sue the state's major supermarket and restaurant chains for allegedly violating California's Proposition 65 by failing to post signs warning patrons. Benihana and 10 other restaurant chains settled the suit last year and have posted warning signs. The supermarket case is pending, but many of the chains also have posted signs.

"We have worked closely with them throughout this whole mercury battle," said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for Lockyer.

Despite the test results, Saddler said he wasn't going to give up sushi. He just plans to stop ordering tuna entrees.

"There's salmon, shrimp, clams and other shellfish," Saddler said. "Most of the other stuff would be OK if you are worried about mercury."

Protect Your Right to Know About Mercury in Seafood and Other Toxins in Food!

2006-02-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Protect Your Right to Know About Mercury in Seafood and Other Toxins in Food!
Tell your Congressperson to vote "No" on House of Representatives Bill H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act.

Over 200 state laws are at risk of preemption by a bill supported by the tuna industry to undermine California’s Proposition 65, a consumer right to know law that protects families by requiring mercury-in-seafood warning signs to be posted in supermarkets and restaurants. Afraid of liability from their toxic products, the tuna industry and other food groups are putting profits over public health. Act now to tell your Representative to vote “No” and stop this law before states lose the right to protect public health and food safety!

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels. These laws protect consumers from foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. Your Representative may not even realize how dangerous this bill is to state public health and food safety laws. We need you to let them know and to tell them to vote “No.”

The House will vote on March 2, 2006, on H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act, which weakens food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of foods, such as fish and shellfish or your family’s milk. Large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, as well as the tuna industry are pushing the bill. Please call or e-mail by March 2, 2006.

Please Take Action Now --

Please call your Congressperson: 202-224-3121.

Find the e-mail of your Congressperson and contact them online: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Protect Your Right to Know About Mercury in Seafood and Other Toxins in Food!

2006-02-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

Mercury warning signs would help fish buyers

2006-01-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Article URL: http://starbulletin.com/2006/01/31/editorial/commentary.html
© 1996-2006 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin | www.starbulletin.com
Starbulletin.com
Vol. 11, Issue 31 - Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Mercury warning signs would help fish buyers
NEW Food and Drug Administration data is bad news for ahi poke lovers because bigeye tuna (one of the species sold as ahi) is full of mercury. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that mothers, women who intend to become pregnant and keiki should avoid. The good news is that Hawaii can protect the public by requiring advisories wherever seafood is sold.

The FDA warns women and children not to eat swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel. Women and children are warned to limit tuna consumption, too. New FDA data shows that bigeye tuna have mercury levels nearly as high as king mackerel.

Hawaii's women are at high risk of harming the development of their babies. Last year, a study showed that 17 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander women have mercury levels over what the EPA considers safe, and nearly one-third exceed a level that expert physicians consider safe. Another study showed that women in coastal areas had twice as much mercury.

California law requires supermarkets and restaurants to post mercury-in-seafood warnings. Illinois also introduced a bill to require warnings because of California's successful law. The national trend is growing. Some major grocers, like Safeway, have begun to post signs nationwide because of concerns about protecting customers. Another supermarket, Wild Oats, started posting signs nationwide in 2003. Wild Oats learned that consumers confidently buy more fish when they have the warnings instead of avoiding fish. Hawaii families should have the right to know so they can make healthier choices, too.

Warning signs are a commonsense solution to protect island residents and visitors. Whenever Portuguese men-of-war invade our beaches, public health warning signs go up immediately. Why can't we do the same when we know mercury is a health risk in our stores? Nobody wants to poison their children with mercury from fish any more than they want their kids to get stung by a man-of-war. Warnings for pregnant women are required for cigarettes and alcohol because direct warnings are a cheap, easy and effective health education tool.

If Hawaii wants to keep its reputation as the "Health State," then the Legislature should act to protect our families from mercury in ahi, shutome and other high-mercury seafood. The state is doing a lot toward that goal, but now it is time for legislators to require supermarkets and restaurants to do their part. Let's be akamai and protect our precious keiki by providing mercury-in-seafood warnings.

In the meantime, Hawaii seafood lovers should go to GotMercury.Org, where you will find a simple online mercury-in-fish calculator that shows you how you and your family can safely enjoy seafood.

Eli Saddler is a public health analyst for GotMercury.Org, a consumer public health education resource. He is a former longtime Hawaii resident and a graduate of the University of Hawaii-Manoa School of Public Health.

Article URL: http://starbulletin.com/2006/01/31/editorial/commentary.html
© 1996-2006 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin | www.starbulletin.com

'Ahi mercury levels higher than thought, FDA says

2006-01-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

Posted on: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
'Ahi mercury levels higher than thought, FDA says

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

Bigeye tuna, or 'ahi, prized in Hawai'i for sashimi, contains higher levels of mercury than previously thought, according to revised data from the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The mean level of mercury in 'ahi, at .64 parts per million, approaches levels found in sharks, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel, which the FDA recommends be entirely avoided by high-risk groups, which include children and women who may become pregnant, are pregnant or are nursing. Excess levels of mercury can pose a significant threat of neurological damage in infants and young children.

The Hawai'i Department of Health says its recommendation for limited consumption of ahi by those at risk is sufficient, but a national environmental group is urging the FDA to put bigeye tuna — the variety of 'ahi with the highest levels of mercury — on the no-eat list for people at risk.

"A single serving can cause a mercury exposure several times the EPA's recommended limit," said Eli Saddler, a University of Hawai'i graduate in public health and public health analyst for the Turtle Island Restoration Network's GotMercury program.

He said that it is important to distinguish between two species known in Hawai'i as 'ahi, since the bigeye can have twice the mercury levels of yellowfin, but "when you go into a restaurant and you ask what kind of 'ahi it is, they may not know."

STATE TESTS BACK FDA

The state Department of Health has seen the new data and has conducted its own tests at the Honolulu fish auction.

"The federal data are not news to us, and are in the range of levels we found in our own survey," said Dr. Linda Rosen, deputy state health director for health resources.

The state Department of Health recommends those in the risk group not eat shark, swordfish or shutome, and kajiki or Pacific blue marlin. It recommends no more than one meal every two weeks of opah, ono and 'ahi, and does not distinguish between the types of 'ahi — bigeye, tombo and yellowfin. It recommends no more than one meal weekly of lower-mercury fishes such as canned tuna, mahimahi and nairagi or striped marlin. It says you can eat as much as you like of the lowest-mercury fishes, such as akule, moi, mullet, salmon, squid and shrimp.

ASSESSING LIMITS

The EPA recommends expectant and nursing mothers and young children avoid entirely the highest-mercury fishes, and limit consumption to 12 ounces a week for all fish and shellfish.

Rosen said she considers the federal guidelines "a little too simple" for a fish-eating community such as Hawai'i, and feels consumers will be safe "if you stick to our recommendations."

Mercury is found naturally in the environment, but can build up in the food chain. As a result, the top predators get higher levels than creatures eating lower on the food chain. Sharks, swordfish and tuna are among the top predators.

LEVELS VARY

The amount of mercury in a particular fish depends on what it's been eating, as well as its age and size. In general, older and bigger fish have higher levels of mercury than younger, smaller fish, but that's not always a safe assumption, Rosen said.

"We did find the highest levels of mercury in a 213-pound 'ahi, and half that level in a 246-pounder," she said.

Saddler said European countries, Japan and Canada all have much stricter standards for mercury in fish than the United States does.

"In Europe, they test each batch of fish, and if levels are too high, they pull it off the market," he said.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jan/24/ln/FP601240344.html

Ahi mercury twice as high as albacore, FDA data shows

2006-01-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Ahi (Bigeye) Tuna High In Mercury, New FDA Data Shows
FDA Should Revise Mercury Warnings for Women and Children

For Immediate Release: January 20, 2006

CONTACT: Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA
GotMercury.Org; Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

Forest Knolls, CA – Revised FDA data just released shows that ahi (bigeye tuna) is high in mercury, averaging 0.639 ppm of mercury. The highest mercury test result in ahi (bigeye tuna) exceeded the FDA’s 1.0 ppm “action level.” (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html). Sushi and tuna steaks of bigeye tuna are commonly sold as “ahi” in restaurants and stores.

The FDA and EPA already warn women and children to restrict their consumption of albacore tuna (0.357 parts per million, or ppm, or mercury) because of the dangers of methylmercury, a powerful neurotoxin, but currently fail to do so for bigeye. Ahi (bigeye tuna) has nearly twice as much mercury as albacore on average.

“The updated FDA data shows that the FDA should immediately revise its March 2004 mercury in seafood advisory to include ahi (bigeye tuna) as a fish for women and children to avoid,” said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org. By comparison, the FDA and EPA warn women and children not to eat king mackerel (0.730 ppm), swordfish (0.97 ppm), shark (0.988 ppm), and tilefish (1.45 ppm).

“The only responsible action for the FDA is to revise their warnings and alert the public. At this time, the FDA has failed to post a press release about the new data on their web site, ” said Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network and its GotMercury.org program.

Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) is one of the two species known as ahi in Hawai`i and is a popular seafood item, especially in sushi restaurants. Consumers are at risk from eating ahi (usually as fresh tuna steaks and in sushi) and should be aware of the risks of consuming too much ahi, especially women who are or intend to become pregnant and children. Children are especially vulnerable to methylmercury, the toxic organic form found in fish, because it can harm neurological development – resulting lower IQ, heart irregularities, and motor skill problems.

“GotMercury.Org is updating our mercury-in-seafood calculator today so that consumers will have the best available, latest data for calculating their risk from methylmercury in ahi and other fish,” said Eli Saddler, public health analyst for GotMercury.Org.

“Eating tuna is like playing Russian Roulette because the FDA does not test and remove individual fish determined to have mercury levels above the action level of 1 ppm, like Canada and the European Union do,” stated Saddler. “Without regular testing and action by the FDA, there is no way to know how much mercury you are ingesting with the individual fish you purchase.”

“While affordable, rapid testing of fish for mercury exists, neither the government nor most seafood retailers are using it yet in the US, but GotMercury.Org and Turtle Island are calling upon both the FDA and large retailers to start using the new technology immediately to protect public health,” stated Steiner.

GotMercury.Org, a free, online mercury-in-seafood calculator will be revised today to reflect the FDA’s updated mercury in tuna data. GotMercury.Org educates consumers on healthier seafood choices by using the EPA and FDA data to calculate how much seafood is safe for in a given week. For example, a 130-pound woman who ate just one 8 ounce ahi filet this week would exceed her EPA safe level of mercury by about 350%. A child of 40 pounds, eating the same ahi steak this week, would exceed the EPA safe level of mercury by about 1139%. Such a level in the child would far exceed the uncertainty factor (sometimes referred to as “safety factor”) used in calculating the FDA’s level.

Available Resources:

1. Revised FDA mercury in fish data: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html
2. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from seafood: www.gotmercury.org.
3. B-roll of mercury in seafood images.
4. Electronic Press Kit: www.gotmercury.org/press or www.gotmercury.org/info
5. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.
6. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html.

Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA, Public Health Specialist and Attorney
GotMercury.Org/TIRN, PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933
Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

GotMercury.org is a project of the Mercury Education and Response Campaign (MERC) of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN). TIRN is a California-based marine conservation and public health advocacy organization that works to protect sea turtles and other marine species in the United States and in countries around the world while protecting the public mercury in seafood. For more information about TIRN, please visit: www.seaturtles.org

For more information on mercury in seafood and marine species protection please visit the TIRN website at by visiting: www.gotmercury.org/info.

Big Tuna is the New Big Tobacco

2006-01-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.enn.com/comment.html?id=442

December 16, 2005 — By Eli Saddler, GotMercury.Org

Big Tuna is the new Big Tobacco. How did the “chicken of the sea” become such a big turkey? Last year, consumer awareness of mercury in seafood drove US canned tuna consumption down 10 percent, costing Big Tuna $150 million. Instead of dealing responsibly with the public health threat of mercury, Big Tuna has taken pages from the tobacco industry’s playbook to claim their products do not cause harm when the science demonstrates otherwise.

Mercury in seafood is well-documented health risk. When the medical community called for stronger federal warnings about mercury in fish, including tuna, Big Tuna lobbied to prevent it. While the FDA and EPA finally issued an advisory in March 2004, they failed to educate the public subsequently, leaving it to the nonprofit community.

The federal advisory states that women who are or might want to become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. Buried in there, the advisory also tells women of childbearing age and children to limit the amount of tuna they eat.

A simple message, right? However, Big Tuna contradicts ANY medical study that shows risks from mercury and twists science to advocate tuna consumption regardless of actual findings.

For example, a recent Harvard study found that “higher mercury exposure in pregnancy is associated with lower offspring cognitive scores, even at these relatively low levels of exposure.” Mothers who “consumed more fish but had lower mercury levels” saw the benefits of fish. The study said nothing to advocate tuna consumption.

Big Tuna’s interpretation? Women who eat tuna have smarter children. Study after study, Big Tuna generates consumer confusion by spinning studies in their favor. Science tells us mercury is bad and fish without mercury are good, but Big Tuna continues to claim its products are safe. New TV ads encourage young women to eat tuna as a low-calorie meal.

California stood up against Big Tuna. Attorney General Lockyer sued stores and restaurants to post mercury health warning signs, something endorsed by the American Medical Association and required by California law. Big Tuna’s response? The industry sent letters to grocers asking them not to post signs and offering to indemnify stores against liability. Big Tuna even fought against a new San Francisco law requiring the warnings in Spanish and Chinese, too.

Why isn’t the federal government doing something? It is – the Bush administration is promoting tuna, not warning families. The FDA responded to California’s lawsuit by asking the AG to drop the suit because of federal preemption. Wait – the FDA doesn’t want California to require posting the FDA’s warnings? This smells fishy.

Adding to the smelly politics of Big Tuna – NOAA Fisheries, part of the Department of Commerce, is sponsoring a conference in December with a one-sided, pro-industry agenda on health and seafood. The result is a misuse of tax dollars to subsidize tuna when it’s losing customers because of health concerns – wait, that smells of tobacco, too.

Also, NOAA Fisheries may approve regulations to permit an ad council, similar to the “Got Milk?” campaigns, to spend $25 million. Big Tuna calls their campaign “Tuna – A Smart Choice”; we call it “Got Mercury?”

Many supermarket chains promised to post mercury warnings where seafood is sold, similar to California’s signs. This is a simple, inexpensive method of educating consumers. So far, surveys show only Wild Oats is warning consumers in all stores and their customers buy more seafood because of the confidence they have when the information available. The federal government should stop siding with Big Tuna and require mercury warnings where seafood is sold.

So is tuna a “smart choice”? No, the smart choice is eating a balanced diet, which may include low-mercury-level fish. Until Big Tuna has to put labels on its cans, like cigarettes do for pregnant women, the smart choice is to select fish lowest in mercury found at GotMercury.Org, an online mercury calculator.

EPA finds alarming levels of mercury in some fish

2005-12-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2005

Seafood lovers are advised to ease up on their consumption of deep-sea fish, as the mercury levels found in fish surpass those in other meats and could cause neurological problems if it builds up in the human body, a report the Environmental Protection Administration disclosed on Tuesday after measuring the mercury content in locals' hair.

The EPA revealed that Taiwanese people have an average of 2.4 milligrams of mercury per kilogram in their hair, a figure lower than the World Health Organization standard of 50 mg/kg. However, it is higher than the average value of people in Japan (2.1 mg/kg) as well as the reference dose of one mg/kg in the United States.

Wang Cheng-hsiung, the EPA Environmental Analysis Factory director, said that the dietary habits were key factors that contributed to the different values of mercury measured in people of different gender, age and residential area.

The report disclosed that non-vegetarians' hair contained an average value of 2.54 mg/kg of mercury, an average value that was eight times higher than that of vegetarians (0.32 mg/kg).

Also, the hair of those who eat deep-sea fish such as tuna, swordfish and salmon were discovered to contain 3.68 mg/kg of mercury, six times higher than those who did not eat fish at all (0.55 mg/kg).

According to the report, the content of mercury in the hair of Taiwanese males was higher than that of females, and that the average level of mercury in those older than 60 years of age was 1.5 times higher than those under 20 years of age.

Finally, the residents in Hualian County had the highest average mercury content in their hair (3.09 mg/kg), while the average level of mercury in the hair of those who live in Taichung City were the lowest (1.83 mg/kg).

The EPA said the research confirmed that the content of mercury in human bodies had less to do with where they live than what they ate, in response to recent concerns from worried citizens who live near incinerators, waste dumps, and industrial areas.

However, the EPA speculated that the professions of the 1,066 people from whom valid samples of hair were taken also affected the mercury content in their bodies, with those in the dentistry business acquiring as high as 3.94 mg/kg of mercury, for they are constantly exposed to the element, which is used for teeth filling.

Mercury, a metal element that is a permanent pollutant to the environment, is said to be the cause of neural problems such as coordination as well as eyesight, hearing and memory loss. Pregnant women who consume deep-sea fish are more likely to put their babies at risk for brain damage.

In related news, the EPA reminded the public that compulsory residential garbage sorting will take effect nationwide from January 1, 2006. After three months, local environmental management units will fine garbage that is not sorted.

The EPA said that garbage should be arranged into three sorts: recyclables, kitchen waste, and regular trash.

Specifically, compact-sized recyclables including paper and aluminum containers, metal and aluminum cans, glass bottles, and plastic products excluding plastic bags can be passed to garbage trucks, while garbage collectors will collect larger recyclables such as electronic products on a weekly basis. On the other hand, kitchen waste, meaning leftover food that could serve as pig feed, should be placed in a designated container on the garbage truck.

Source:Taiwan News(2005/12/21 14:54:48)

http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlines/index.jsp?categid=10&recordid=89752

FDA Should Begin Regular Testing for Mercury in Fish

2005-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

FDA Should Begin Regular Testing for Mercury in Fish

FDA Continues to Fail to Protect Women and Children Under Own Guidelines by Permitting Mercury-Contaminated Fish in Stores and Restaurants

For Immediate Release: December 13, 2005

CONTACT: Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA

www.GotMercury.Org; Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

Forest Knolls, CA – GotMercury.Org calls upon the FDA to require regular testing of seafood for high levels of mercury and to remove fish above the FDA’s own “action level” of 1 part per million (ppm). Currently, the FDA does not have a system of monitoring seafood for mercury and is not taking action to remove mercury-contaminated seafood from the market. Rapid, low-cost testing technology exists to permit the FDA to screen for mercury exceeding 1 ppm without compromising seafood freshness.

"The time has come for the FDA to conduct regular, widespread testing of seafood to protect mothers and children from mercury," said Eli Saddler, a public health specialist and attorney for GotMercury.org. Saddler continued, "The FDA is failing to take action when fish exceed the FDA’s own 1-ppm action level and is ignoring the obvious need for extensive, unbiased testing of mercury in our nation‘s seafood supply."

In Europe and Canada, governments monitor seafood regularly and deny the importation of mercury-contaminated seafood that exceeds safety standards. Both Europe and Canada have stricter 0.5 ppm mercury standards though there are is a 1-ppm exception standard for higher mercury fish, such as swordfish, tuna, and shark. In 2004, European Union countries removed swordfish from the market 30 times – an increase over 2003. Canada requires that at least five percent of fish imports be tested. Furthermore, Health Canada advises women to limit fresh or frozen tuna consumption to one meal per month only – a stronger recommendation than the FDA. In the US, the FDA has done little testing – only testing four swordfish samples and only two samples of fresh or frozen tuna since 2000.

Low-cost, rapid testing technology is available to provide instant results using a small tissue sample. The FDA has an affordable, practical method available for protecting our seafood supply.

The recent Chicago Tribune investigation tested multiple fish species and found many had extremely high levels of mercury, more than currently reported by the FDA. For example, swordfish tested averaged 1.41 ppm, compared to the 0.97 ppm average reported by the FDA. Orange roughy and walleye tested by the Tribune were higher than albacore tuna, which is under FDA advisory.

Todd Steiner, director of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) said, “An extensive mercury testing program is feasible with new technology that provides immediate results that can protect the health of women and children.” Steiner added, “The minimal cost to test fish is something the FDA and seafood purveyors should be aggressively pursuing.”

GotMercury.Org and TIRN successfully campaigned for Safeway to post mercury in seafood warnings in all their stores nationwide. In June 2005, GotMercury.Org ran a full-page advertisement calling upon Safeway to post warnings. In September 2005, GotMercury.Org and Oceana called upon all major grocery chains to post signs similar to those required in California. Since October 2005, Safeway supermarkets have begun to post outside of California. GotMercury.Org is conducting mercury warning sign national surveys of supermarkets. GotMercury.Org and coalition partners continue to ask all food retailers to post warnings.

“Point of sale warnings should be posted in restaurants and supermarkets as an important tool to reach consumers directly about the FDA and EPA mercury advisory,” stated Eli Saddler, public health specialist and attorney at GotMercury.Org. Saddler continued, “Additionally, it is the responsibility of the FDA to initiate a large-scale program of mercury testing and to remove fish that exceed the 1-ppm standard.”

Since March 2004, GotMercury.Org has provided online mercury in seafood calculator based on the EPA‘s reference dose limits and using available government mercury in fish data. GotMercury.Org was begun in 2003 to educate people about mercury in seafood as a project of TIRN.

TIRN and the As You Sow Foundation filed the original notice of intent to sue supermarkets and restaurants for failure to post Prop 65 warnings in 2002. California’s Attorney General took up the lawsuits. Proposition 65 is a California toxic substance consumer right to know law. Some restaurant chains settled in February 2005. An interim settlement is in place for supermarket chains. California’s lawsuits against canned tuna companies concluded last week.

Available Resources:

1. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from seafood: www.gotmercury.org.

2. B-roll of mercury in seafood images.

3. Electronic Press Kit: www.gotmercury.org/press or www.gotmercury.org/info

4. Mercury in Seafood Calculator in Spanish: www.gotmercury.org/espanol

5. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.

6. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html.

7. GotMercury.Org calculator launched press release: www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=200

8. GotMercury.Org Safeway June 2005 Ad: www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=264

9. GotMercury.Org and Oceana New York Times Ad, September 2005: www.seaturtles.org/images/photoarchive/photos/GotMercury.Oceana.Ad.jpg

10. www.chicagotribune.com/mercury

2005-11-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

New San Francisco Law Protects Latina and Chinese Women from Mercury in Fish

San Francisco Passes Multilingual Prop 65 Law to Warn Mothers and Children

For Immediate Release

November 14, 2005

CONTACT:

Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA – www.GotMercury.Org

Phone: 415-488-0370, ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance requiring Prop 65 warnings in English, Spanish, and Chinese on November 1, 2005. The ordinance was returned from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office not vetoed and is now law in San Francisco. The first of its kind in the country, the ordinance will require grocery stores and restaurants to post mercury in seafood warning signs in English, Spanish, and Chinese in the city and county of San Francisco. Additionally, the San Francisco Department of Public Health will enforce the ordinance during routine health inspections. Proposition 65 requires warnings about toxins, such as mercury in fish, that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi introduced the groundbreaking public health ordinance earlier this year. GotMercury.Org worked closely to aid Mirkarimi’s office. Public health and environmental groups support the ordinance as a step toward giving Latina and Chinese mothers the right to know about mercury in seafood. The public health ordinance addresses the environmental justice concern that only English speakers were getting information crucial to protecting women and children. Better enforcement of Prop 65 will also improve public health.

"Supervisor Mirkarimi and the Board of Supervisors should be applauded for extending California’s Prop 65 warning signs to Spanish and Chinese speakers,” said Eli Saddler of GotMercury.org. "San Francisco's ordinance gives Latina and Chinese mothers an equal right to know so that they can also protect their children from mercury in fish, like swordfish and tuna."

Mercury in seafood is a significant health hazard. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can harm developing fetuses and young children. Some fish contain more mercury than others so it is important for women to select seafood carefully. According to the EPA, one in six women of childbearing age in the U.S. has unsafe blood levels of mercury -- that’s 630,000 children born at risk each year. However, the FDA estimates that only between 30 and 50 percent of women are unaware of the risks.

For San Franciscans, the danger of mercury poisoning by seafood is greater. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed that women in coastal areas had twice as high blood levels of mercury as did women living inland. Another recent study found that 17 percent of Asian women had mercury blood levels exceeding the EPA safety limits, higher than other populations.

“San Francisco’s women are at higher risk than other populations and should be educated about which fish to avoid, regardless of whether they speak English, Spanish, or Chinese,” said Eli Saddler, public health specialist for GotMercury.Org. He continued, “San Francisco seafood consumers have the right to know the government’s clear warnings: Women and children should not eat swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. They should also reduce their tuna consumption.”

GotMercury.Org is an online calculator in both English and Spanish for consumers to estimate their own mercury exposure from eating seafood (http://www.gotercury.org or http://www.gotmercury.org/espanol). Chinese and Japanese calculators will be available on GotMercury.Org soon. To facilitate public health education, GotMercury.Org is translating materials into Spanish and Chinese to educate more consumers about the risks of eating mercury-laden seafood and to support San Francisco’s efforts.

Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island, said, “Many supermarkets and restaurants are still failing to post mercury in fish warnings under Prop 65. However, businesses can develop trust with consumers by providing them accurate information about the risks of eating certain fish, such as swordfish, shark, or tuna.” He added, “Stricter enforcement of mercury in seafood warning sign requirements will ensure more consumers learn about the government’s important public health warnings.”

GotMercury.org and Turtle Island Restoration Network have been monitoring stores in California to determine compliance with Prop 65 requirements. Recent data shows that the majority of stores are not adequately posting mercury warning signs. Statewide, about 70% of supermarkets, including Safeway, and others, were failing to properly notify customers about mercury in fish.

In March 2004, the EPA and FDA issued a joint advisory about mercury in seafood. The FDA warns pregnant women to “protect your unborn child by not eating these large fish that can contain high levels of methylmercury: shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.” Furthermore, the California Attorney General’s mercury waning sign states that women of childbearing age should also "limit their consumption of other fish, including fresh or frozen tuna” (bold text in original). The Attorney General’s website is at: http://caag.state.ca.us.

Methylmercury — the organic form of mercury found at high levels in some fish — is a potent neurotoxin that can cause nervous system and brain damage in developing fetuses, infants, and young children. Methylmercury also causes neurological damage, cardiac disease, and birth defects. Human mercury comes primarily from the consumption of seafood. While seafood can contribute to a healthy diet, consumers must avoid eating fish higher in mercury and have a balanced diet.

A recent study of swordfish in the US found that about half exceeded the FDA’s 1-ppm safety level. A study by the Turtle Island Restoration Network also showed that mercury levels in swordfish were significantly higher on average than what the FDA reports. Therefore, the risk from exposure to mercury in seafood, such as tuna and swordfish, is more serious than even the government reports.

The GotMercury.Org project of Turtle Island Restoration Network, As You Sow Foundation, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, the Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility – San Francisco, Community Toolbox for Children's Environmental Health, the Mercury Policy Project, California League for Environmental Enforcement Now, and other organizations supported the San Francisco ordinance. Hundreds of individuals have emailed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in support of this ordinance. The San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association also endorsed the law. Representatives of the tuna industry lobbied to stop this ordinance and continue to deny the strong scientific evidence supporting the Prop 65 warnings because tuna sales have dropped by 10 percent, a $150 million loss.

Proposition 65 is a California consumer right-to-know law that requires businesses selling products known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm to notify customers. Turtle Island Restoration Network and the As You Sow Foundation filed the original notice of intent to sue supermarkets and restaurants for failure to post Prop 65 warnings in 2002. California’s Attorney General took up the lawsuits against supermarkets and restaurants failure to warn consumers. In February 2005, Attorney General settled with major restaurant chains, but the lawsuit against grocery stores continues. California’s mercury in seafood warning signs are based on the March 2004 FDA and EPA advisory on methylmercury in fish.

Available Resources

1. Consumers can calculate their mercury exposure from fish at www.gotmercury.org.

2. B-roll

3. Electronic Press Kit available at www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

4. Interviews with mercury poisoned women and children available.

5. Mercury in swordfish report at www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=227

6. FDA and EPA Consumer Advisory on Methylmercury in Fish at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html.

GotMercury.Org

Mercury Education & Response Campaign (MERC)

Turtle Island Restoration Network

PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933

GotMercury.org is project of the Mercury Education and Response Campaign (MERC) of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN). TIRN is a California-based marine conservation and public health advocacy organization that works to protect sea turtles and other marine species around the world while protecting communities from mercury in seafood. For more information, visit: www.seaturtles.org. For more information on mercury in seafood and marine species protection, please visit the TIRN website at: http://www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

San Francisco Pasó Ordenanza Multilingüe de Señales de Mercurio en Mariscos y Pescados

Las Señales de Advertencia de la Propuesta 65 seán en inglés, chino, y español

Para Publicación Inmediata

14 de Noviembre del 2005

CONTACTAR:

Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA – www.GotMercury.Org

Teléfono: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Email: eli@gotmercury.org

San Francisco, CA, EE.UU. – El 1 de Noviembre del 2005, El Consejo de Supervisores de San Francisco pasó con unaniminidad una ordenanza que requiere señales de advertencia de la Propuesta 65 en inglés, español, y chino. La primera de su clase en el país, la ordenanza requerirá a tiendas de abarrotes y restaurantes de la ciudad y el Condado de San Francisco, fijar letreros de advertencia sobre mercurio en el marisco en inglés, español, y chino. Adicionalmente, el Departamento de Salud Pública de San Francisco hara cumplir la ordenanza durante inspecciones rutinarias. La Propuesta 65 requiere advertencias acerca de toxinas, tal como el mercurio en el pescados o mariscos, que causan cáncer, defectos de nacimiento, u otros daños reproductivos.

El Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi introdujo antes este año la innovadora ordenanza de salud. GotMercury.Org trabajó en estrecha colaboración con la oficina de Mirkarimi. Grupos de salud pública y ambientales apoyan la ordenanza como un paso para dar a madres Latina y Chinas el derecho de saber acerca de mercurio en el marisco. La ordenanza de salud pública aborda inquietudes de justicia ambiental en la cual sólo anglohablantes obtenían información crucial para proteger mujeres y niños. Una mejor aplicación de la Propuesta 65 mejorará también la salud pública.

"El Supervisor Mirkarimi y El Consejo de Supervisores deberían ser alabados por extender las advertencia de la Propuesta 65 de California a hablantes de español y chino,” dijo Eli Saddler de Gotmercury.Org. "la ordenanza de San Francisco da a madres Latinas y Chinas un derecho a saber igual para que puedan proteger también a sus niños del mercurio en el pescado."

El mercurio en el marisco es un peligro significativo para la salud. El mercurio es una neurotoxina poderosa que puede causar daño a fetos en desarrollo y a niños pequeños. Algúnos pescados contienen más mercurio que otros así que es importante para las mujeres elegir el marisco con cuidado. Según el EPA, una de cada seis mujeres en edad de tener hijos en los Estados Unidos tiene niveles peligrosos de mercurio en la sangre -- como 630, 000 niños nacidos con riesgo cada año. Sin embargo, el FDA estima que sólo entre el 30 y 50 por ciento de las mujeres ignoran los riesgos. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/sadmehg3.pdf

GotMercury.org es una calculadora en línea en inglés y español para que consumidores cálculen su propia exposición de mercurio por comer mariscos (http://www.gotmercury.org/espanol). Las calculadoras en Chino o en Japones estarán disponibles pronto en GotMercury.Org. Para facilitar la educación de salud pública, GotMercury.Org esta traduciendo materiales en español y chino para educar a más consumidores acerca de los riesgos de comer marisco cargado con mercurio y para apoyar los efuerzos de la ciudad de San Francisco.

Para la gente que vive en San Francisco, el peligro de intoxicación de mercurio por marisco es más grande. Un estudio reciente del Centro para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades mostró que las mujeres en áreas costeras tienen niveles de mercurio en la sangre dos veces más altos que las mujeres que viven en el interior. Otro estudio reciente encontró que el 17 por ciento de las mujeres asiáticas tienen niveles de mercurio en la sangre que exceden los límites de seguridad de la EPA, más alto que otras poblaciónes.

“Las mujeres de San Francisco están a un riesgo más alto que otras poblaciones y deben ser educadas acerca de que pescados deben evitar, sin importar si hablan inglés, español, o chino,” dijo Eli Saddler, especialista de salud pública de GotMercury.Org. “Los consumidores de marisco de San Francisco tienen el derecho de saber las claras advertencias del gobierno: Mujeres y niños no deben comer pez espada, tiburón, sierra, y caballa gigante. También deben reducir su consumo de atún.”, continuó Saddler.

El Directo Ejecutivo de Turtle Island, Todd Steiner, dijo, “Muchos supermercados y restaurantes fallan todavía por poner advertencias de pescado con mercurio bajo la Propuesta 65. Sin embargo, negocios pueden fomentar confianzas con consumidores proporcionándoles información exacta acerca de los riesgos por comer ciertos pescados, como pez espada, tiburón, o atún.” El agregó, “La aplicación estricta de los requerimientos de alerta del mercurio en el marisco asegurará que más consumidores aprendan acerca de las advertencias guvernamentales importantes de salud pública.”

Gotmercury.org y Turtle Island Restoration Network han estado observando tiendas en California para determinar el cumpimiento de los requisitos de la Propuesta 65. Datos recientes muestran que la mayoría de las tiendas no colocan adecuadamente los letreros de advertencia. En todo el estado, cerca del 70% de supermercados, inclusive Safeway, y otros, fallaban al notificar apropiadamente a clientes acerca de mercurio en el pescado.

En marzo del 2004, el EPA y FDA dieron una recomendación conjunta acerca del mercurio en el marisco. El FDA advierte a las mujeres encinta “proteger a su niño aún no nacido no comiendo pescados grandes que pueden contener niveles altos de mercurio de metilo: tiburón, pez espada, caballa gigante y sierra.” Además, la advertencia del Fiscal General de California sobre el mercurio declara que las mujeres en edad de tener hijos también "deben limitar su consumo de otros pescados, inclusive el atún fresco o congelado” (texto marcado en el original). La página web del Fiscal General es: http://caag.state.ca.us.

El Mercurio de Metilo – la forma orgánica de mercurio hallada en muchas especies de pescado — es una poderosa neurotoxina que puede causar daños al sistema nervioso y al cerebro de fetos en desarrollo, bebés, y niños pequeños. El mercurio de metilo causa también daños neurológicos, enfermedades cardiacas, y defectos de nacimiento. El mercurio humano proviene principalmente del consumo de marisco. A pesar de que el marisco puede contribuir a una dieta sana, los consumidores deben evitar comer pescado con nivel alto de mercurio y tener una dieta balanceada.

Un estudio reciente del pez espada en los EUA encontró que cerca de la mitad excedía el nivel de seguridad 1-ppm del FDA. Un estudio conducido por Turtle Island Restoration Network mostró también que los niveles de mercurio en el pez espada eran considerablemente más alto en promedio que lo que informa el FDA. Por lo tanto, el riesgo de la exposición al mercurio en el pescado, como el atún y el pez espada, es más grave que lo que el gobierno informa.

El proyecto GotMercury.Org del Turtle Island Restoration Network, As You Sow Foundation, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, el Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility – la ciudad de San Francisco, Community Toolbox for Children's Environmental Health, el Mercury Policy Project, California League for Environmental Enforcement Now, y otras organizaciones apoyaron la ordenanza de San Francisco. Centenares de individuos han mandado correos electrónicos al Consejo de Supervisores de San Francisco favoreciendo esta ordenanza y fue aprobada también por la Golden Gate Restaurant Association. Representantes de la industria del atún presionaron para parar esta ordenanza y continuan negando la sólida evidencia científica que sostiene las advertencias de la Propuesta 65 porque la venta de atún ha bajado un 10 por ciento, una pérdida de $150 millones.

La propuesta 65 es un derecho a saber del consumidor de la de ley de California que requiere que los negocios que vendan productos que causan cáncer, defectos de nacimiento, u otros daños reproductivos notifiquen a clientes. El Turtle Island Restoration Network y la As You Sow Foundation presentó el primer aviso de intención para demandar a los supermercados y restaurantes por fracasar con las advertencias de la Propuesta 65 en el 2002. El Fiscal General de California tomó las demandas contra supermercados y restaurantes por fracasar en advertir a los consumidores. En febrero del 2005, el Fiscal General se resolvió con las cadenas grandes de restaurantes, pero el pleito continúa contra los supermercados. Las advertencia de mercurio en el marisco en California esta basada en la advertencia de mercurio de metilo en el pescado del FDA y EPA de marzo del 2004.

Recurso Disponibles

1. Los consumidores pueden calcular su exposición de mercurio en www.gotmercury.org

2. Material disponible de video (B-roll)

3. Paquete electrónico informativo – www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

4. Entrevistas con mujeres y niños intoxicados con mercurio disponibles.

5. Informe del mercurio en el pez espada: www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=227

6. Advertencia de mercurio de metilo en el pescado del FDA y EPA

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html.

GotMercury.Org

Mercury Education & Response Campaign (MERC)

Turtle Island Restoration Network

PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933

GotMercury.org es un proyecto de Mercury Education and Response Campaign (MERC) de Turtle Island Restoration Network. TIRN es una organización de conservación marina y abogacía de la salud pública con sede en California que trabaja para proteger las tortugas y otras especies marinas alrededor del mundo mientras que protegen a comunidades del mercurio en el marisco. Para más información, visite: www.seaturtles.org. Para más información sobre el mercurio en los mariscos y la protección de las especies marinas, visite por favor la página web de TIRN: http://www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

Canned tuna consumption down -- Good for you and the oceans!

2005-11-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

Canned tuna consumption continues to go down according to a government report. This is good news for public health because tuna is high in mercury, especially albacore tuna.

In 2004, the average person ate 3.3 pounds of canned tuna over the year. However, per capita seafood consumption went up to 16.6 pounds for the year – about 1 seafood meal per week. The FDA and EPA have warned consumers to reduce their consumption of tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. Hopefully, people are getting the simple message: fish is good, mercury is bad – so eat fish lowest in mercury.

For example, if I ate just one can of albacore tuna this week or had a big sushi meal, I would be at 100% of the EPA’s dose limit. You can also calculate your mercury exposure at GotMercury.Org. The fish you pick are important!

Tiene Mercurio? Got Mercury? calculator in Spanish

2005-11-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Tiene Mercurio? Got Mercury? calculator in Spanish

Spanish Mercury in Seafood Calculator Released
More people to be protected from methylmercury in fish

For Immediate Release
November 8, 2005

CONTACT:
Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA
Phone: 415-488-0370 ext. 104; Cellular: 415-342-7497
Email: eli@gotmercury.org
Todd Steiner, Director of TIRN, 415-488-0370, ext. 103
Mercury Education & Response Campaign (MERC)
Turtle Island Restoration Network
PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933

San Francisco- The GotMercury.Org project of the Turtle Island Restoration Network released an online Spanish-language mercury in seafood calculator. The new website gives Spanish speaking consumers the ability to calculate how much methylmercury they are being exposed to from eating fish. Turtle Island's original English mercury calculator was released in March 2004 after the FDA and EPA advisory on mercury in seafood was published.

"We are excited to make this important public health resource available to our Spanish-speaking friends," said Eli Saddler of the GotMercury.Org project of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “All consumers have the right to know how to protect their families from fish contaminated with mercury.”

This site, located at www.gotmercury.org/espanol, is being released after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a health code ordinance that will require Spanish and Chinese Proposition 65 warning signs to be posted where mercury-contaminated fish is sold. The public health ordinance is currently waiting for Mayor Gavin Newsom’s signature to make this a law in San Francisco.

Similar to the English language mercury calculator, the new Spanish language calculator uses FDA data that shows the mercury levels in commonly eaten fish and quickly allows users to determine if they are eating too much contaminated fish. A 115-pound woman eating an 8-ounce swordfish steak, for example, would be exposed to mercury levels that are 600% of what is considered safe by the FDA and EPA. The calculator can also be used as a preventative tool by allowing fish consumers to choose a low-mercury fish diet that is safer for themselves and their families.

The FDA, like California, warns women of childbearing age and children to avoid fish with the highest levels of mercury: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Government health agencies also advise women and children to reduce their consumption of tuna.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/sadmehg3.pdf

"We want to provide this mercury calculator as a resource to as many people as possible and we are expanding our public health information to as many languages as we can," said Saddler, public health specialist and attorney for GotMercury.Org. "It is especially important in the US to reach our large population of Spanish speakers who are at risk of mercury exposure from fish consumption, but may not have access to this information yet.”

Methylmercury, the organic form of mercury found in many species of fish, is a potent neurotoxin that can cause nervous system and brain damage in developing fetuses, infants, and young children. Approximately one of every six women has blood levels of mercury high enough to put their unborn children at risk. An estimated 15% or 630,000 babies born in the United States are exposed to dangerously high levels of mercury in the womb.

Available Resources

1. www.gotmercury.org
2. www.gotmercury.org/espanol
3. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/sadmehg3.pdf
4. B-roll video footage available
5. Electronic press kit- www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

Se Hace Pública Calculadora de Mercurio en Mariscos en Español
Se Protegerá Más Gente del Pescado con Mercurio de Metilo

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
8 de Noviembre del 2005

Contacto:
Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA
Teléfono: 415-488-0370 ext. 104
Correo electrónico: eli@gotmercury.org
Mercury Education & Response Campaign (MERC)
Turtle Island Restoration Network
PO Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933

San Francisco, California, Estados Unidos de América – El projecto GotMercury.Org del Turtle Island Restoration Network hizo pública una calculadora de mercurio en mariscos en español. La nueva página web da a los consumidores hispanohablantes la habilidad de calcular a cuánto mercurio de metilo han sido expuestos por comer pescado. La primera calculadora de mercurio, en ingles, fue hecha pública por el TIRN en marzo del 2004.

"Estamos emocionados de hacer disponible a nuestros amigos hispanohablantes este importante recurso de salud pública", dice Eli Saddler del projecto GotMercury.Org del Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Todos los consumidores tienen el derecho de saber cómo proteger a sus familias del pescado contaminado con mercurio.”

Esta página web, localizada en www.gotmercury.org/espanol, se ha hecho pública despues que el Consejo de Supervisores de San Francisco aprobo una ordenanza del código de salud que requerirá señales de advertencia de la Propuesta 65 en español y chino en los lugares donde se vende pescado contaminado. La ordenanza de salud pública espera ser firmada para hacerla ley por el Alcalde Gavin Newsom ahora mismo.

Semejante a la calculadora de mercurio en Inglés, la nueva calculadora en Español utiliza datos de la Administración de Drogas y Alimetos (FDA en ingles) que muestra los niveles de mercurio en pescados comúnmente consumidos y permite rápidamente a los usuarios determinar si estan comiendo demasiado pescado contaminado. Por exemplo, una mujer de 115 libras (52 kilogramos) que come un filete de 8 onzas (627 gramos) de pez espada (swordfish), sería expuesta a niveles de mercurio que son 600% de lo que se considera seguro por el FDA y EPA. La calculadora se puede utilizar también como un instrumento preventivo, permitiendo a los consumidores escoger una dieta de pescado de mercurio bajo que sea segura para ellos mismos y sus familias.

El FDA, como el Estado de California, advierte a las mujeres en edad de tener hijos y a los niños, evitar pescado con niveles muy altos de mercurio: tiburón, pez espada, caballa o sierra (king mackerel), y lofolátilo o blanquillo (tilefish). Las agencias de salud del gobierno aconsejan también a las mujeres y los niños reducir su consumo de atún. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/sadmehg3.pdf

"Queremos proporcionar esta calculadora de mercurio como un recurso a muchas personas como es posible y estamos ampliando nuestra información de salud pública a tantos idiomas como podemos," dijo Saddler, especialista de salud pública y abogada de GotMercury.Org. "Es especialmente importante en los Estados Unidos que le llegue la información a nuestra gran población hispanohablante que está a riesgo de exposición de mercurio por consumo de pescado, pero que no puede tener acceso a esta información todavía.”

El Mercurio de Metilo, la forma orgánica de mercurio encontrada en muchas especies de pescado, es una neurotoxina poderosa que puede causar daños al sistema nervioso y al cerebro de fetos en desarrollo, bebés, y niños pequeños. Se cálcula que el 15% o 630,000 de los bebés nacidos en los Estados Unidos, son expuestos a niveles peligrosamente altos de mercurio en la matriz.

Recursos Disponibles

1. www.gotmercury.org
2. www.gotmercury.org/espanol
3. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/sadmehg3.pdf
4. Material disponible de video (“B-roll”)
5. Paquete electrónico informativo – www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

Does your store post mercury in fish signs? Please tell us.

2005-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Please check your local grocery store for mercury in seafood warning signs.

After hard work by activists like you, grocery stores are starting to respond to calls from public health and environmental groups, as well as the American Medical Association. Please go to the seafood counter of your local Safeway, Albertson’s, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, or other grocery store and look for a sign that warns women and children about the dangers of mercury in seafood.

You can check the seafood counter, frozen fish section, or the canned fish section for any type of sign or brochure that addresses the issue of mercury in fish. If you can get a copy of it, please send it to us.

Please tell us:

Name and location of the store?
Was there a warning sign?
Where was the warning sign?
Anything else you want to share about the sign or mercury in fish?

Email me directly at eli@gotmercury.org or fill out our survey online: http://www.seaturtles.org/actionalertdetails.cfm?actionAlertID=105

Why is this important?

Here in California, state law gives grocery store shoppers the right to know about mercury in seafood by a sign that warns women and children to not eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. Women and children are advised to limit their tuna consumption also. This simple, clear message based on a March 2004 FDA and EPA advisory avoids consumer confusion about which fish certain groups should avoid and reminds the public that fish can be part of a balanced diet. We think all shoppers have the right to know – regardless of where they live!

The California sign can be found at: http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/WarningMercury.pdf

Mercury from the environment – mostly from air and water pollution – becomes methylmercury in living beings. Methylmercury moves up the food chain from microorganisms and is magnified by the time it reaches fish at the top of the food chain. Top fish predators like tuna and swordfish are larger, fattier, and longer-lived than other fish so they accumulate more mercury in their bodies.

People get mercury into their bodies primarily through fish consumption. One of every six women is at risk of exposing her unborn children to mercury in the womb. However, only about 30 to 50 percent of women are aware of this serious risk. Mercury is linked to birth defects, especially the damage to developing brains and nervous systems. Young children are at risk after birth because their brains and bodies are still developing and are susceptible to mercury’s toxic effects.

Some stores to look for are:

Safeway and its subsidiaries:

* Dominick’s
* Vons
* Randall’s
* Pak 'n’ Save Foods
* Carrs
* Genuardi’s
* Pavillions
* Tom Thumb

Albertsons and its subsidiaries:

* Shaw's
* Acme
* Jewel-Osco

Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club

Whole Foods

Kroger

Trader Joe's

Go to www.gotmercury.org, to calculate your exposure to mercury through the seafood that you eat. GotMercury.Org also contains information for other actions that you can take.

To learn more about mercury in seafood, please visit our Mercury Education and Response Campaign information site: http://www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

To learn more about how unsustainable fishing is pushing endangered sea turtles to extinction, please visit: www.seaturtles.org

Thank you for your help and participation. Your actions are making a difference!

Sincerely,
Eli

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Eli Saddler, JD, MPH, MA
Public Health Specialist and Attorney

Got Mercury? Find out now:
http://www.gotmercury.org

GotMercury.Org
Mercury Education & Response Campaign (MERC)
Turtle Island Restoration Network
PO Box 400, 40 Montezuma Avenue
Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA

Phone: (415) 488-0370, extension 104
FAX: (415) 488-0372
e-mail: eli@gotmercury.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Tuna continues to mislead and poison women and children

2005-10-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

The tuna industry put out another misleading press release to confuse consumer about the risks of mercury in fish while criticizing California Attorney General Lockyer’s attempt to enforce Proposition 65, a right to know consumer protection law.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051013005764&newsLang=en

The press release first misleads by excluding an important finding from the mercury and fetal development study published this month in Environmental Health Perspectives:

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8041/8041.pdf

The Harvard Medical School study states clearly at the beginning of its discussion of the results:

These results support findings from some studies that higher mercury exposure in pregnancy is associated with lower offspring cognitive scores, even at these relatively low levels of exposure. In addition, higher maternal fish intake was associated with higher mercury levels. However, higher maternal fish consumption was associated with better infant cognition. This benefit appeared greatest among infants whose mothers consumed more fish but had lower mercury levels.

Explaining the apparent contradiction between the benefits of consuming fish with the detriments of ingesting mercury, the authors wrote:

The most likely explanation is that the benefit is conferred by consuming fish types with the combination of relatively little mercury and high amounts of beneficial nutrients.

This is exactly what doctors, public health professionals, and environmental groups have been saying all along. Fish can be part of a healthy, balanced diet when fish lower in mercury are consumed. Furthermore, the authors observed:

the highest cognitive scores among offspring of mothers with higher fish intake but lower mercury levels.

The tuna industry also misleads the press and consumers by suggesting that the study specifically stated that canned tuna was one of the items good to eat to achieve the balance between mercury’s toxicity and fish’s health benefits. However, they excluded albacore tuna in their comments completely, since it is known to have high mercury content. Additionally, the study’s authors point out that they made no conclusions about specific types of fish, nor were they recommending that mothers go out and eat canned tuna to have smarter babies. The study clearly states that further research is needed before further recommendations can be made based on their findings.

Of course, that’s not what the billion-dollar tuna industry reported. Their press release deliberately excluded any damning evidence found in the report and exaggerated any remote suggestion that their product might be beneficial.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051013005764&newsLang=en

Why? Because just like the tobacco companies, one might speculate that tuna companies are concerned about profits over public health. The Tuna Foundation appears to prefer to risk poisoning mothers and children to make up for the $150 million slump in sales of canned tuna since the March 2004 joint FDA and EPA advisory that warned women and children should not eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. The advisory further warns women and children to reduce their consumption of tuna. These facts are buried in the report after heavy lobbying by an industry that would further devastate our oceans with bad fishing techniques while knowingly poisoning women and children who are sensitive populations to mercury exposure.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

Of course, the Tuna Foundation on their website even denies our government’s attempts to protect families from tragic mercury poisoning from their fish.

In the meantime, the EPA estimates that 1 in 6 women are at risk of poisoning their unborn children with mercury in the womb:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

Recent study that Asian women are at higher risk of mercury in their blood:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8464/8464.pdf

The California Medical Association has called for further testing of fish being sold and point of sale as is currently done under Proposition 65 in California:

http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/CMAResolution.pdf

To find out the truth, please visit www.GotMercury.Org and calculate your exposure to mercury in fish.

Got Mercury?

2005-09-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Toxic Tuna? Safe Sushi?

Got Mercury? www.gotmercury.org

Our mercury calculator will let you know!

Find out if the tuna fish sandwich or sushi was full of mercury or safe to eat.