Communicating the Net Benefits of Seafood Consumption

‘The past several years have brought about a paradigm shift in the role of seafood in health in terms of the risk of not eating seafood, especially during pregnancy and lactation. The MNG, IOM, and FDA have examined the recent science and the current issues arising from traditional methods of describing and communicating health benefits and risks. The consumer must be provided with clear information with which to make health-related decisions. The latest approach is communicating “net benefit” when the benefits exceed risks (or net risks if the benefits are low or unproven). Since the preponderance of the evidence supports a net benefit of seafood for fetal and neonatal neurocognitive development, women of child bearing age, women who are nursing or pregnant, the unborn and newborn, and young children should be encouraged to consume two meals of seafood (preferably fatty ocean fish) per week, avoiding only those few species found to be highest in methylmercury.

Harris M, Bruhn C, Schor D, Reinhardt Kapsak W, Blakistone B. Communicating the net benefits of seafood consumption. Food Technol. 2009;63(11):38-44.