FDA to Update Guidance on Mercury Levels in Seafood

Responding to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Mercury Policy Project (MPP), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon update guidance on the permissible levels of mercury in seafood and the associated potential risks for pregnant women and young children. While CSPI and MPP urged the agency to mandate mercury-level labeling on seafood and at fish counters in grocery stores, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said that labels would not be mandated under its forthcoming guidelines. Previous guidance issued in 2010 indicated that pregnant women should limit seafood intake to less than 12 ounces weekly and discouraged consumption of shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel. See Associated Press, May 30, 2014.

Issue 525