Is Albertsons Holding Up Their End Of The Bargain?
VICTORY!
One year ago, WVE and women everywhere scored a huge victory when Albertsons, one of the largest supermarket chains in the nation, agreed to our demands to display mercury advisory signs and brochures at their fish counters.
IMPORTANCE OF MERCURY ADVISORIES
One of the primary ways humans are exposed to mercury is through the consumption of fish. Fish become contaminated from mercury polluting activities.
Mercury advisory signs are an easy and effective way of protecting women and children from mercury exposure by encouraging women to purchase low-mercury fish.
While fish provide important nutrients for women, some fish are high in mercury and may be harmful to a woman's health and the health of her fetus.
As a result, the FDA and EPA recommend that women of childbearing age, pregnant women and young children avoid eating swordfish, king mackerel, shark and tilefish, and should limit consumption of all fish.
Despite the FDA and EPA warnings, grocery stores are not required to post mercury advisory signs at fish counters--even though the fish they sell may exceed the FDA hazard level of 1 part per million (ppm).
Prior to the Albertsons victory, WVE participated in a random sampling of mercury in swordfish in 23 different states--50% of the tested swordfish exceeded the FDAs hazard level of 1 ppm.
If a woman ate a 6 oz piece of swordfish with over 1 ppm of mercury, she would be exposed to 310% of the weekly mercury intake.
Women should not shy away from consuming fish altogether. Many fish, like salmon, cod, and sardines are very low in mercury and provide essential fatty acids vital to human health. Click here for more information about mercury in fish.
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Additional Resources
More information about fish advisories from the EPA
The 2004 report "What you Need to Know About Mercury in Fish & Shellfish" (PDF)
Find out how much mercury you are exposed to through fish consumption with the mercury calculator
Safe Fish List from the Children's Health Environmental Coalition
Safe Fish Wallet Card
Safe Sushi Guide from the Natural Resources Defense Council (PDF)
Check out the documentary Jane O'Holly Productions produced about the Albertsons demonstration WVE staged in June. This short, eight- minute video highlights the importance of posting fish consumption advisories in grocery stores.
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