How healthy / unhealthy is it to eat canned fish ?

[Sally Jenk]

I eat canned fish once a week...sardines, mackarel.

I heard about Mercury and other other negatives of eating
canned fish.

How healthy or unhealthy is it to eat canned fish?

Can anyone pls. let me know

Thanks Sally

PS: Pls. cc me on any replies..if you don't mind.

[William St]

Sally Jenkins wrote:

> I eat canned fish once a week...sardines, mackarel.
>
> I heard about Mercury and other other negatives of eating
> canned fish.
>
> How healthy or unhealthy is it to eat canned fish?

I think it's probably ok; the Hg level should be real low
because i think they are ocean fish. Mostly it's lake fish
that have Hg problems, especially lakes that are fed by
streams that are goldmined.

bill

[William St]

Ok now I get to eat some crow:

William Stacy wrote:

> Sally Jenkins wrote:
>
> > I eat canned fish once a week...sardines, mackarel.
> >
> > I heard about Mercury and other other negatives of eating
> > canned fish.
> >
> > How healthy or unhealthy is it to eat canned fish?
>
> I think it's probably ok; the Hg level should be real low
> because i think they are ocean fish. Mostly it's lake fish
> that have Hg problems, especially lakes that are fed by
> streams that are goldmined.
>
> bill

The US FDA published this in 2001; I guess I missed it:

> The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing its
> advice to pregnant women and women of childbearing age who
> may become pregnant on the hazard of consuming certain kinds
> of fish that may contain high levels of methyl mercury. The
> FDA is advising these women not to eat shark, swordfish,
> king mackerel, and tilefish. As a matter of prudent public
> health advice, the FDA is also recommending that nursing
> mothers and young children not eat these fish as well.
>
> Fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish
> contain high levels of a form of mercury called methyl
> mercury that may harm an unborn baby's developing nervous
> system. These long-lived, larger fish that feed on smaller
> fish accumulate the highest levels of methyl mercury and
> therefore pose the greatest risk to the unborn child.
> Mercury can occur naturally in the environment and it can be
> released into the air through industrial pollution and can
> get into both fresh and salt water.
>
> The FDA advisory acknowledges that seafood can be an
> important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women and
> those of childbearing age who may become pregnant. FDA
> advises these women to select a variety of other kinds of
> fish -- including shellfish, canned fish, smaller ocean fish
> or farm-raised fish -- and that these women can safely eat
> 12 ounces per week of cooked fish. A typical serving size of
> fish is from 3 to 6 ounces.
>
> The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition will
> launch a comprehensive education program to reach pregnant
> women and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant
> and their health care providers concerning the hazard posed
> by methyl mercury to the unborn child. As one of its
> priorities for fiscal year 2001, the Center will also
> develop our overall public health strategy for future
> regulation of methyl mercury in commercial seafood.
>
> Today, EPA is also issuing advice on possible mercury
> contamination to women and children eating fish caught by
> family and friends (non-commercial fish). EPA particularly
> recommends that consumers check with their state or local
> health department for any additional advice on the safety of
> fish from nearby waters. Additional information is available
> on EPA's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ost/fish.

so if you're pregnant, or may become pregnant, I'd stay away
from those fish plus any caught by friends, neighbors. If
you're not or are unlikely to become pregnant, then I'd still
keep it to a minimum. Farm raised catfish are beginning to
sound better and better...

bill

[Roman]

"William Stacy" <wstacy@obase.net> wrote in message
news:3E261289.3D1094F5@obase.net...
> Farm raised catfish are beginning to sound better and
> better...

Are catfish raised in much better environments than salmon and
other fish? http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et1102/et1102s22.html
, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1098564.stm

Roman

[William St]

Roman wrote:
>
> "William Stacy" <wstacy@obase.net> wrote in message
> news:3E261289.3D1094F5@obase.net...
> > Farm raised catfish are beginning to sound better and
> > better...
>
> Are catfish raised in much better environments than salmon
> and other fish?
> http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et1102/et1102s22.html ,
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1098564.stm
>
> Roman

I'm no expert, but the salmon are raised in tight ocean pens,
I guess, with all that mercury, and feeding them other fish,
all depending on big diesel engines running 24x7. Whereas
catfish farms use freshwater ponds, relatively free of
mercury, feed them grain based foods that is probably shoveled
in by hand. I'm thinking farmed catfish might be a better
solution all the way 'round.

bill