Food Safety

MethylMercury Hazard

In January, 2001, the FDA released an advisory warning that women who might become pregnant or who are pregnant not to eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because these fish may contain high levels of Methylmercury. Methylmercury is responsible for the outbreak of Minimata disease in Japan during the 60’s, characterized by multiple neurologic deficits. In pregnant women, the fetal brain accumulates the methylmercury, and testing has revealed a high incidence of Cerebral Palsy (CP), developmental delay and learning disabilities in affected children. Many experts also feel that the consumption of canned and fresh tuna should also be limited while pregnant.

Here are some quotes from one article on mercury in fish:

For now, a review of FDA's mercury measurements in 39 seafood varieties shows: 

  • Salmon, oysters, whitefish, sea bass, freshwater trout and sardines contain both high levels of heart-healthy omega-3s and low mercury levels, below 0.13 parts per million.
  • Other low-mercury choices include perch, king crab, flounder, sole, pollock, catfish, croaker, scallops, crawfish, shrimp, clams and tilapia. They contain less omega-3s, but servings can add up. 
  • Tuna is controversial, because different varieties contain different amounts of both mercury and heart-healthy fats. Canned light tuna contains a small amount of omega-3, about as much as shrimp, and fairly low 0.13 ppm (parts per million) mercury. But fresh tuna steaks and the more expensive canned white or albacore tuna contain three times as much mercury, and almost as much omega-3 as salmon.
  • That puts albacore in the medium-mercury range. So many consumer groups recommend that pregnant women and children stick to modest amounts of the lower-mercury light tuna - about 9 ounces a week for women and 3 ounces for youngsters.
  • Also in the medium-mercury range are saltwater trout, bluefish, lobster, halibut, haddock, snapper and crabs. Grouper and orange roughy are at the high end of this group. FDA's advisers said women of childbearing age probably should limit these fish to a serving a week.
  • The FDA advises women of childbearing age to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel
  • For more information, call the FDA hotline at 1 (888) SAFEFOOD or log on to this FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01065.html or http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg.html.

Listeria - CLICK HERE

Sushi

During the first trimester, it might be reasonable to avoid sushi.

On the other hand, it is a widely consumed staple in many parts of the world, and there is no reason to think that sushi poses an unusual hazard (see the above fish warning however). We advise only eating sushi in high quality restaurants.

Uncooked or very rare meats

There is a risk of ingesting a food parasite such as toxoplasmosis when eating uncooked meat. For this reason, we discourage eating raw beef dishes such as steak tartare, beef carpaccio or very rare steaks (medium rare is probable safer). All poultry products should be fully cooked (no pink) before eating.

Peanuts

The incidence of peanut allergy has been increasing. This is partly due to the widespread use of peanuts in food products eaten by pregnant and lactating women. For some reasons, among all foods, peanuts seem more capable of causing allergies to develop. Some allergies can cause a potentially fatal reaction called anaphylaxis. Peanut allergy is so common that many schools are banning peanuts completely, even in food brought to school by children who are not allergic (in case they innocently decide to share their meal).

If you have a child who is allergic to peanuts, or if you or you children or members of your immediate family have allergic diseases such as asthma or peanut or other food allergies, you should avoid eating peanuts while pregnant and while lactating (New England Journal of Medicine April 25, 2002).