SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh – May 1, 2015 – Last week we reported that the FDA had removed the Import Alert subjecting swordfish to mercury inspection, because the Administration found a majority of swordfish shipped to the US market are safe for public consumption.
This week, a spokesman followed up by saying the “FDA has found that mercury levels in almost all imported swordfish have been at levels that the agency considers safe.”
The Alert gave the FDA authority to automatically hold all imported shipments of swordfish and processed swordfish products from any foreign country unless they were from shippers on the FDA Green List.
Last week an email from the FDA said the Administration had canceled enforcement of IA 16-08.
“At this time, FDA is not enforcing the action level of 1 ppm for mercury in swordfish; therefore, IA 16-08 would not apply,” the email said.
Multiple sources said this was an usual move by the FDA to completely remove an IA number from the list. Some speculated the FDA was working on a rewrite of the Alert.
However, this week the FDA confirmed why it no longer found 16-08 necessary.
“FDA removed the import alert after determining that there have been very few recent instances in which the agency detained swordfish shipments as a result of the import alert. FDA has found that mercury levels in almost all imported swordfish have been at levels that the agency considers safe.”
“FDA therefore no longer believed that the import alert served a public health benefit,” said Jason Stachman-Miller, from the FDA’s Strategic Communications and Public Engagement division.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.