Mercury Concerns? Not with Alaska Seafood

On June 15, 2001, the State of Alaska released a bulletin called, "Mercury and National Fish Advisories Statement from Alaska Division of Public Health Recommendations for Fish Consumption in Alaska." The basis for the Bulletin was to report the data that had been gathered over the last several years. The data showed that the FDA action level for mercury in Alaska Seafood, which is one part per million or 1ppm, had never been approached. Alaska Salmon was non-detectable. In fact, all Alaska species were below the action level of 1ppm. As a result, the state of Alaska requested that the FDA revise their original advisory to say that some areas, like Alaska, fish are safe to consume at any level. The FDA made these revisions.

It was in the wake of this FDA announcement that the State of Alaska came out with its own bulletin that said all Alaska consumers (pregnant women, nursing mothers, Native consumers, children) could continue to consume Alaska Seafood in unrestricted amounts. It also stated that available data shows very low levels of mercury, and that the benefits of eating Alaska Seafood far exceed the risks.

For more information about mercury and Alaska's Seafood, please log onto www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/bulletins/docs/b2001_06.htm

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