"They seem to be unaware that children are smaller than adults," said Jean Halloran, director of food safety at Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. "That advice, which they have featured prominently, could result in young children getting excessive doses of mercury."
For pregnant women and children younger than 12, the report said:
• They may benefit from eating seafood, especially seafood with higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
• They may eat six to 12 ounces of seafood a week, and that can include up to six ounces of albacore tuna. For children, a reasonable intake would be two 3-ounce servings "or age-appropriate servings, but they can safely consume 12 ounces per week."
• They should avoid big predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel, which have higher mercury levels.
For healthy teenagers and adults and those at risk of heart disease, the report said eating seafood may reduce the risk of heart disease. And if people eat more than two servings of seafood a week, they should be sure to eat different kinds of seafood to reduce the risk of exposure to contaminants, the report said.
While the report does not list "good" or "bad" fish, it does describe broad categories
• Fatty fish like salmon have the highest omega-3 levels but also have more saturated fat and cholesterol and can have higher levels of dioxin and PCBs. They tend to have less mercury.
• Shellfish and crustaceans are low in saturated fat but can have moderate amounts of cholesterol and present the greatest risk of microbial infection if eaten raw.
• In all seafood, levels of dioxin, PCBs and other contaminants do not pose health risks when eaten in government-recommended amounts.
