US federal food safety advisors want the US Food and Drug Administration’s planned guidelines on mercury in fish to include more information.


A panel of outside food experts said they thought information on fish that are low in mercury and safer to eat should be included, but added that they needed more time to give exact recommendations to the FDA, Dow Jones News reported.


The proposed FDA guidelines advise people, especially women of childbearing age, to limit their consumption of tuna due to concerns about mercury poisoning. Previous FDA guidelines have advised pregnant women to avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish due their higher levels of mercury, but have steered clear of advising against tuna consumption due to fears that it could be substituted with a less nutritious food, reported Reuters.


David Acheson, chief medical officer in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that many members of the advisory panel had called for information on fish that have lower levels of mercury and details of acceptable potion sizes to be included in the FDA’s advice.


The panel is to review transcripts of its meeting and provide detailed advice to the FDA in the coming days, Dow Jones News said.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.