Two prominent nutritionists are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to revise its 2004 seafood advisory targeting pregnant and lactating women, citing a "consistent stream" of new studies highlighting the health benefits of seafood consumption, especially the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish.
In an open letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Wednesday, J. Thomas Brenna, Ph.D., professor of Human Nutrition at Cornell University, and Michael Crawford, Ph.D., director of London Metropolitan University's Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, said the advisory may be causing more harm than good.
"The core problem is that the benefits of fish could not be appropriately considered in 2004," they wrote. "Current science has advanced to the point where it is no longer consistent with the recommendation to limit consumption of all fish to 12 ounces per week for pregnant and lactating women and women who may become pregnant."
Brenna and Crawford said "persuasive" new evidence shows that consumption of more than 12 ounces of most seafood species per week improves fetal neurodevelopment.
The FDA warns pregnant and lactating women, women of childbearing age and young children to avoid eating swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish and to limit albacore tuna consumption to 6 ounces per week due to the health concerns associated with methylmercury, a neurotoxin.
The National Fisheries Institute applauded Brenna and Crawford and urged members of the U.S. seafood industry to join it in signing an online petition created by the nutritionists.
"Over the past six years the scientific community has produced a wealth of evidence supporting the fact that the real risk to pregnant women and unborn children is that they aren't eating enough fish," said NFI President John Connelly.
Early last year, the FDA published a draft report assessing the health benefits and risks of seafood consumption. The agency is not considering revisions to its 2004 seafood advisory until all public feedback is addressed and the report is finalized.
"We encourage the FDA to complete work on this assessment on a priority basis," said Brenna and Crawford. "Mothers and children worldwide deserve your best efforts to provide advice consistent with the best science available."
