Rutgers Cooperative Research

1
Which Fish are Safe to Eat?

• Presented by
• Rutgers Cooperative Research Extension
• Rutgers Center for Environmental Communication
• U.S. Food Drug Administration

2
What Women Should Know About Eating Fish

• Eating Most Fish is Very Good for Your
  HealthBUT.Some kinds of fish are not good for
  you or your baby. So, if you are
• Pregnant or might become pregnant
  Breastfeeding
• Feeding small children
• Please Read on.

3
Did You Know?

• Most fish are a healthy, low-fat source of
  protein, vitamins and minerals.
• But.some fish and crabs have harmful chemicals
  in them like mercury, dioxin and polychlorinated
  biphenyls (PCBs).
• These chemicals can cause health problems AND the
  fish dont look, smell or taste different from
  fish caught in clean waters.

4
How Can These Chemicals Harm Your Familys Health?

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women pass harmful
  chemicals on to their baby.
• This can hurt the developing brain and nervous
  system of a baby or young child and cause
  learning problems in later years.
• Dioxins and PCBs will build up in a human body
  and may increase the risk for cancer and other
  diseases.

5
Reduce Your Familys Exposure to Mercury

• U.S. Food Drug Administration Recommends
• Fish are highly nutritious, BUT women of
  childbearing age and young children should avoid
  these fish
• Swordfish,
• King Mackerel,
• Tilefish,
• Shark
• Tuna

6
Avoid Eating Harmful Chemicals in the Fish and
Crabs You Catch

• EPA and FDA recommends limiting consumption of
  freshwater fish caught by family and friends to
  ONE meal per week of six ounces of cooked fish
  for adults and two ounces for a child.
• Know your local advisories about the fish you
  catch.

7
Eat Safe Fish 2-3 Times Weekly

• Try seafood that you can purchase in the food
  store, like salmon, haddock, sole, shrimp, fish
  stickseither fresh, frozen or canned.
• Eat up to 12 ounces of safe fish per week.
• A serving of cooked fish for
• adults is about 3 - 6 ounces.
• A serving of cooked fish
• for children is about 2 ounces.

8
To Reduce Fat Toxins in Fish, Cook them like
this..

• Broil, grill, bake or steam fish on a rack.
• Throw away juices that drip onto the pan.
• Do not fry or coat the fish in batter or
  breading.
• Remove and throw away the skin, the fat along the
  back, the guts, belly fat and the fatty dark meat
  along the length of the filet.
• Warning Skinning, removing the fat and cooking
  will NOT reduce mercury levels in fish.

9
For More Information

• US Food Drug Administration 1-888-SAFEFOOD or
  www.cfsan.fda.gov
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  www.epa.gov/ost/fish
• NJ Department of Environmental Protection at
• 609-984-6070 www.statenj.us/dep/dsr/njmainfish.ht
  m
• Call or check website for advice on safe fishing
  local advisories for different areas of New
  Jersey.
• Rutgers Cooperative Research Extension
  www.rcre.rutgers.edu
• This display was funded through grant support
  from the U.S. FDA and implemented through the
  efforts of Joan Lytle, U.S. FDA, Dr. Karen Ensle,
  Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Dr. Melanie
  Hughes McDermott, Rutgers Center for
  Environmental Communication, 2002.