FDA Offers Guidlines on Fish Intake for Children, Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers

A new United State government study classifies fish into three categories of safety so as to provide a guideline to help pregnant women, lactating mothers and parents of young children make healthy choices.

In the guideline, 62 types of fish and shellfish were distributed into three groups - best choices: eat two to three servings a week, good choices: eat one serving a week and fishes to avoid.

Up to 90 percent of fishes consumed in the United States fall into the best choices category, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA noted that 50 percent of pregnant women eat fewer than 2 ounces of fish a week, which is far less than the recommended amount as it provides nutritional benefits crucial for growth and development during pregnancy and early childhood, according to Medical Express.

The government agencies urge pregnant women to take two to three servings of fish low in mercury every week or the total of 8 to 12 ounces. The new guideline, however, provides that 12 ounces are the recommended maximum weekly consumption of low-mercury fish.

The quantity is similar to past recommendations and also consistent with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Low mercury fish and shellfish which are part of the best choices group include the most commonly eaten fishes such as canned light tuna, catfish, cod, pollock, shrimp, salmon, and tilapia.

The FDA and EPA recommend only one serving of fish from the good choices category every week, which includes albacore white tuna whether canned, fresh or frozen, bluefish, grouper, halibut and tilefish from the Atlantic Ocean, according to U.S Health News.

A typical serving of fish for adults is 4 ounces before cooking while serving sizes for children are relatively lower and adjusted for their age and calorie requirements. The guideline recommends that children should eat a variety of fish once or twice a week.

Fishes are an important source of protein and other nutrients for young children and pregnant women, lactating mothers or women trying to conceive. The guideline clearly shows the diversity of fish in the United States market that they can consume safely, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Stephen Ostroff said.

Fishes are known to have at least some mercury content, which if consumed in high amounts, could harm the brain and nervous system over time.

The agencies noted that pregnant women, lactating mothers, women of childbearing age and children, who are most vulnerable must avoid seven types of fish know to have higher mercury contents namely: bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico.

The new guideline recommends that people who fish and eat their catch should check for local advisories on mercury and other contaminants and if there are no local advisory, they should restrict themselves to eating just one fish meal per week. They are also advised to clean and trim fat and skin from fish before consumption.