NRDC Study: FDA Underestimates Gulf Coast Residents Exposure to Carcinogens in Seafood

Shrimp

A survey of Gulf Coast seafood consumption habits released by the Natural Resources Defense Council reveals that many Gulf residents are eating far more seafood, far more often, than the federal government has acknowledged, bringing seafood safety standards under renewed scrutiny.

Significant discrepancies between estimates by the Food and Drug Administration and reported consumption rates were found, in particular, with regard to shrimp consumption: on the low-end FDA’s estimates were 3.6 times too low, and on the high-end, actual consumption exceeded FDA estimates by more than 12-fold.

"It’s common knowledge that people in the Gulf love their seafood. When we think of food from the region we think of po-boys and gumbo, oyster bakes and jambalaya. Yet despite this, FDA has been setting safety standards for cancer-causing chemicals based on nationwide seafood consumption rates -- failing to take the uniqueness of the regional diet into consideration. And this is a problem, because it means that current FDA standards may also be failing to adequately protect many people in the Gulf," said Dr. Gina Solomon a senior scientist with NRDC. Additional comments by Dr. Solomon can be found in her blog post "It’s the Dose That Makes the Poison".

In June 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a protocol for determining safe levels for cancer-causing chemicals from oil (PAHs) in Gulf seafood. The protocol was guided by seafood consumption rates derived from national data, rather than from a Gulf Coast survey or other surveys of frequent fish consumers.

Based on this national data, FDA assumed that people eat just two meals of fish and one meal of shrimp per week, with no more than 3 ounces of shrimp per meal (approximately four jumbo shrimp).

The NRDC survey, released in December 2010, looked at the eating habits of 547 Gulf Coast residents living in counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The survey revealed that the rate of shrimp consumption in coastal communities significantly exceeded the estimates used by FDA to calculate a safe level of exposure to PAHs.

Actual consumption rates ranged from 3.6 to 12.1 times higher than FDA estimates. Some subpopulations, particularly Vietnamese-Americans, also reported appreciably higher seafood consumption rates across the board (fish, shrimp, oyster, crab), than other survey respondents and FDA estimates.

Although the survey did not represent a random sample, the results are noteworthy in that they clearly show that a considerable portion of Gulf Coast residents eat substantially more seafood than reflected in FDA’s risk assessment.

In addition, many of survey respondents may be more vulnerable to contaminants in seafood than FDA accounted for due to smaller body weight: 60% reported that they weighed less than the weight estimate used by FDA to establish seafood safety, and more than 40% of respondents reported having children at home who eat seafood.

NRDC and Gulf groups remain concerned that when coupled with increased consumption rates, this can result in a significantly increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. And while the FDA has posted data that show very low levels of PAHs in seafood, flawed sampling procedures have led many experts to doubt the reliability of those results.

“Many Vietnamese-Americans in the Gulf eat seafood almost daily. We need to know that FDA is using strong guidelines that protect everyone in our community, not just the people who eat four jumbo shrimp a week,” said Jennifer Vu, co-coordinator of Mississippi Coalition for Vietnamese-American Fisherfolks and Families.

In August, nearly two dozen Gulf Coast groups and NRDC commented on FDA’s assumptions in a formal letter to the Agency saying that, in their judgment, these numbers significantly underestimate local seafood consumption.

In light of the NRDC survey results, 36 Gulf Coast groups along with NRDC have sent a letter to FDA calling on the agency to expedite the reassessment of the cut-off levels used for contaminants in Gulf seafood to assure that local dietary patterns and other vulnerabilities are incorporated, arguing that FDA’s current contaminant cut-offs routinely underestimate local seafood consumption and are inadequate to protect the health of local populations.

source: Natural Resources Defense Council

Slow Fish Campaign

Slow Food International recently launched a campaign called Slow Fish aimed at supporting responsible fishing communities and promoting good, clean, and fair fishing.

Over the course of the conference fishers, including members of the New England delegation, laid the tracks for Slow Fish's guiding document that will shape the campaign's direction moving forward.

The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance is working closely with Slow Fish organizers to finalize the document and help make the Slow Fish campaign a powerful tool for fishing communities around the world.

NAMA’s mission is to restore and enhance an enduring marine system supporting a healthy diversity and an abundance of marine life and human uses through a self-organizing and self-governing organization.

source: namanet.org

Maryland Seafood Brochures, Cookbooks

To help make holiday meal planning easier, the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood & Aquaculture Program is offering a recipe brochure. The document features 11 seafood recipes from the state, including crab ball, fried oysters, traditional Maryland oyster stew, and smoked bluefish spread.

The Maryland Seafood Holiday Brochure is available on line at www.marylandseafood.org, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Maryland Seafood Holiday, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or by calling toll free in Maryland at 888-841-5828. Outside of Maryland call 410-841-5972.

The state is also offering Maryland Seafood Cookbooks? Three different editions are available, individually or as an entire set. All three cookbooks feature numerous recipes that highlight the many delicious species of fish and shellfish that are harvested from local waters.

Maryland Seafood Cookbooks are available for $6.95 each plus tax and shipping. To purchase cookbooks, call the request line toll free in Maryland at 888-841-5828 or 410-841-5972 if outside Maryland. Order forms are also available on the web at www.marylandseafood.org.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture

Oregon Dungeness Crab Fishery Earns Marine Stewardship Council Certification

The Oregon Dungeness crab fishery which operates off the USA west coast has earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The MSC ecolabel was awarded following independent assessment to the MSC standard for sustainable, well-managed fisheries.

Dungeness crab is Oregon’s official 'state crustacean'. The crabs have been harvested commercially along the Pacific coast since the late 1800’s. Dungeness crabs range from central California to the Gulf of Alaska, and is Oregon’s most valuable single species fishery.

Oregon’s harvest for the 2009-2010 season was 23,195,059 pounds (10,521 metric tons) and the landed value was $44.8 million. Oregon is currently the top producer of Dungeness crab worldwide.

The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission is the fishery client, with 425 limited entry license holders fishing primarily within 10 miles of the Oregon coast. Dungeness crab is sold live, or as fresh or frozen whole cooked crabs, as well as picked meat, legs and sections. The United States is the major market for Dungeness crab although products are also shipped to markets around the world.

"We are very happy to have successfully completed the certification process and join the other fisheries in Oregon and around the world that have earned this important sustainability designation," said Nick Furman, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. "We anticipate that the MSC label will create new marketplace opportunities and recognition for ‘Oregon Dungeness’ as awareness of and demand for certified seafood products grows."

source: MSC

Bangor Mussel Producers Fishery Certified

The Bangor Mussel Producers fishery was certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. Mussels from Bangor will be able to bear the coveted MSC ecolabel.

The North Menai Strait mussel fishery is an enhanced fishery where two boats use small dredges to catch young ‘seed’ mussels from the beds where they accumulate and then relay them on leased areas inside the Menai Strait where they thrive.

The mussels start off at an intertidal zone (that dries out on most tides) to develop thick shells that will protect them against predators. Over the next 9-18 months, they are moved to progressively deeper waters that rarely get exposed by the tides until, eventually, they are moved to deeper water in denser colonies where they can feed constantly and build up their body mass into a fat, juicy mussel.  Once the mussels have reached a suitable size, the fishermen re-catch them and sell them to the market.

The fishery scored highly for its stock status with the certifier noting that the fishery had a negligible or potentially positive impact on mussel stocks.

The fishery was sponsored through its assessment by The Co-operative’s £200,000 Sustainable Fishing Fund that is sponsoring fisheries across the UK through MSC assessments.

source: MSC press release