Saving Seafood

Nutrition

Resolve to Meet (and Eat) New Seafood

January 10, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

U.S. seafood is sustainable, nutritious—and delicious! Many Americans are familiar with only a fraction of the species that come from U.S. fisheries. Beyond staples like tuna, salmon, and cod, there are plenty of other fish in the sea that merit a place on our plates. Because these species are not as familiar to seafood shoppers, they are often overlooked or harder to find at markets. Fisheries, fishing communities, and coastal ecosystems are more resilient when harvesters can diversify the species they target—and then sell the fish they catch. Support U.S. fishermen—and your local economy—by adding more U.S. seafood to your diet!

Some chefs, restaurants, and seafood distributors have resolved to incorporate underused species in their menus and stores. Home cooks can try this, too, especially by shopping for seafood at their local fish market or talking to their grocery store fish counter. These efforts support a sustainable ocean harvest and provide customers with opportunities to savor new fish in new dishes.

The start of a new year is a great time to try new things. In that spirit, we’d like to introduce you to six seafood species you may not have tried. Consider it a New Year’s Meet-and-Eat!

Just How Healthy Is Salmon?

January 8, 2024 — Salmon is good for you — that part we know.

“Fish is one of the few animal foods consistently linked to health benefits, and salmon is at the top of my list when I recommend fish to people,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a distinguished professor and the director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.

But choosing which type to eat for your health — sockeye or coho, wild or farmed — isn’t so obvious. Researchers have found that the nutritional value of salmon can vary depending on the species. And there is a consumer perception that farmed and wild-caught salmon differ in terms of their nutrients and levels of contaminants — beliefs that research partly supports.

From healthy fats to heavy metals, here are answers to all your salmon-related questions.

Read the full article at The New York Times

Beyond The Seas

November 16, 2023 — If it still seems strange to think of fish growing on farms, it shouldn’t.

Aquaculture has been the fastest growing food sector in the world for decades, and people now eat more farmed fish than wild fish.

The industry has had to grow. Demand for seafood is soaring and will continue to rise. But the oceans are giving up all they can: Production of wild fish has been flat since about 1990.

Fish farming and shellfish production usually spew far less greenhouse gas emissions than production of beef and other animal protein, but aquaculture can still cause serious environmental problems.

And as it has grown, the problems with large-scale farming have grown with it. Many are like problems that face massive chicken, pig and cattle operations. The farms and the waste from them can degrade and pollute nearby ecosystems, diseases can quickly sweep through the tightly packed fish, and gathering the feed for the animals can cause distant environmental problems.

Faced with stinging criticism and tighter regulations — and eager to meet demand — fish farmers are trying new ways to boost production and minimize harm.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

How NOAA Fisheries Helps Get American Seafood into American Diets

October 26, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At NOAA Fisheries, we know that a thriving, sustainable seafood sector is good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for people who eat seafood. We also recognize that the U.S. seafood industry faces unprecedented challenges from a changing climate, a recent pandemic, and ongoing disruptions to global markets.

We reaffirmed our commitment to improving the resiliency of the U.S. seafood industry with the release of our National Seafood Strategy. The strategy outlines our goals for this effort over the next five years, including fostering access to domestic markets for U.S. seafood. Getting more American seafood into American diets is a win-win solution. Supplying sustainable, nutritious seafood to feed our nation supports the financial viability of our fishing and aquaculture industries.

Partnering Across Federal Agencies

One way to meet the goals of the National Seafood Strategy is by working with federal partners, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Commodity Procurement Program is a long-standing USDA program that provides a valuable avenue to share the bounty of American fisheries around the country.

Since the 1930s, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has had the authority to purchase excess agricultural commodities and donate them to Americans in need. These purchases stabilize commodity prices by reducing excess supply in the market. The food donations support critical nutrition programs around the nation that feed children, students, seniors, long-term care residents, and food bank patrons.

While the USDA is traditionally concerned with land-based meat and produce, their purchasing authority can extend to wild-caught seafood as well. That’s where NOAA Fisheries plays a key role. “The USDA relies on our expertise when it comes to seafood,” said Steve Wilson, Director of the Seafood Inspection Program. “Our program provides critical advice in crafting calls for proposals, specifications for acceptable seafood products, and inspection services.”

At NOAA Fisheries, we know that a thriving, sustainable seafood sector is good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for people who eat seafood. We also recognize that the U.S. seafood industry faces unprecedented challenges from a changing climate, a recent pandemic, and ongoing disruptions to global markets.

We reaffirmed our commitment to improving the resiliency of the U.S. seafood industry with the release of our National Seafood Strategy. The strategy outlines our goals for this effort over the next five years, including fostering access to domestic markets for U.S. seafood. Getting more American seafood into American diets is a win-win solution. Supplying sustainable, nutritious seafood to feed our nation supports the financial viability of our fishing and aquaculture industries.

Partnering Across Federal Agencies

One way to meet the goals of the National Seafood Strategy is by working with federal partners, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Commodity Procurement Program is a long-standing USDA program that provides a valuable avenue to share the bounty of American fisheries around the country.

Since the 1930s, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has had the authority to purchase excess agricultural commodities and donate them to Americans in need. These purchases stabilize commodity prices by reducing excess supply in the market. The food donations support critical nutrition programs around the nation that feed children, students, seniors, long-term care residents, and food bank patrons.

While the USDA is traditionally concerned with land-based meat and produce, their purchasing authority can extend to wild-caught seafood as well. That’s where NOAA Fisheries plays a key role. “The USDA relies on our expertise when it comes to seafood,” said Steve Wilson, Director of the Seafood Inspection Program. “Our program provides critical advice in crafting calls for proposals, specifications for acceptable seafood products, and inspection services.”

FDA to conduct survey testing mercury levels in seafood

June 9, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants a better understanding of the mercury levels in seafood products available to American consumers, and it’s conduct an extensive survey to gather that data.

The agency is looking for a contractor to execute the survey on behalf of its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, testing approximately 600 seafood products for mercury and methyl mercury, according to a 7 June notice.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US FDA discovers PFAS in cod, shrimp, tilapia, salmon samples

June 1, 2023 — Out of 186 samples recently tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were discovered in two cod samples, two shrimp samples, one sample of tilapia, and one sample of salmon.

PFAS – so-called “forever chemicals” that don’t degrade and that are known to cause a variety of health issues if ingested – have become an increasingly concerning issue for seafood purveyors.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

 

 

Seafood to get front-of-the-pack label boost under 2024 US FDA guidance

May 23, 2023 — New food-labeling draft guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aiming to further clarify the nutritional value of food products to consumers is coming into effect in 2024.

The draft guidance provides food manufacturers with recommendations on how and when to use dietary guidance statements on food product labels “to ensure the label statements promote good nutrition, provide greater consistency in labeling, and assist consumers in making informed choices,” the FDA said in a press release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

We Did Consumer Reports Work for Them

February 9, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

When we challenged reporter, Lauren Kirchner and her team at Consumer Reports, to release all their mercury-in-canned-tuna testing data and put it in perspective with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “action level” and “level of concern,” we thought it was a pretty simple request. Apparently, it wasn’t because rather than a full clarification of the facts we got… nothing but crickets.

So, in order to help folks understand exactly what Consumer Reports found we were able to piece together the raw data from 19 of the 30 tests conducted as part of its How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna? article. The results are below and speak for themselves.

Read the full release at National Fisheries Institute

NFI calls latest Consumer Reports mercury in tuna claims “embarrassing failure of journalistic ethics”

February 9, 2023 — The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) is calling on Consumer Reports to disclose the full details of its research into allegations of mercury contamination in canned tuna.

The article by Consumer Reports, “How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna?” is the latest in a string of similar stories the publication has released dating back to 2014. The new story warns pregnant women to avoid canned tuna altogether due to some cans potentially having “higher levels” of mercury.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Here we go again: Consumer Reports Loves a Good Scare Story

February 8, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute: 

NFI has learned that Consumer Reports magazine is preparing to release a “story” that documents its efforts to test mercury in canned tuna. A story the outlet has repeatedly produced over the years:

Dating all the way back to 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blasted the magazine saying its report, “focus(ed) exclusively on the mercury levels in fish without considering the known positive nutritional benefits attributed to fish. As a result, the methodology employed by Consumer Reports overestimates the negative effects and overlooks the strong body of scientific evidence published in the last decade.”

Despite that admonishment, they’re at it again — taking precious time away from rating vacuum cleaners and air fryers to play an unqualified role in making public health recommendations.

However, here’s the real part of the narrative that will not surprise you. NFI found out Consumer Reports was testing cans of tuna in early January, and we reached out to them to be a resource. Not surprisingly, they didn’t sound thrilled to hear from us.

From the findings, we were privy to, we noted to Consumer Reports that the mercury levels they apparently found do not raise consumption concerns. Additionally, to suggest precautions to consumers based on those results would be hyperbolic and borders on embarrassing, tabloid journalism.

We pointed out that in the sample of results we saw, it appeared the highest level of mercury found in a “light” can was .58 ppm and the highest level of mercury found in an “albacore” can was .66 ppm. The FDA’s action level, or the limit for mercury in fish is 1.0ppm. Neither of these levels begin to even approach this limit and are completely safe to consume.

However, more importantly, we explained to Consumer Reports that to be totally accurate they would need to put these numbers in complete context with the FDA’s own explanation of the 1.0ppm “action level” and then explain the fact that the FDA’s 1.0ppm level includes a 10-fold safety factor:

“FDA’s action level of 1.0 ppm for methyl mercury in fish was established to limit consumers’ methyl mercury exposure to levels ten times lower than the lowest levels associated with adverse effects.”

— Food and Drug Administration

Cans that include tuna with mercury levels of .58ppm or .66ppm are nowhere near the absolute lowest levels FDA itself associates with “adverse effects.” Any reporting by Consumer Reports that suggests otherwise and does not include a thorough explanation of the FDA’s safety factor would be disingenuous at best and or deceptive at worse.

The report is scheduled to come out tomorrow Thursday, February 9th. Keep in mind, at that point Consumer Reports will have been fully aware of the FDA’s testing metric and threshold for concern for nearly a month. Deceiving readers by omitting accurate and scientific FDA perspective in search of sensational headlines is more than an embarrassing failure of journalistic ethics it is, simply put, wrong.