Researchers to WH -Stop Pawning Mercury-Laden Tuna Off on the Poor

[donsu]

http://www.democrats.com/

Researchers to White House: Stop Pawning Mercury-Laden Tuna Off on the Poor

US Newswire: "In response to a new Institute of Medicine proposal, advocates are calling on the federal Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program to stop exposing America's most sensitive, low income populations to mercury in white tuna. Currently, canned tuna is the only animal meat protein source offered by WIC programs, except in Hawaii. The IOM Report suggests that the types of fish/shellfish that are intermediate in methylmercury contamination (be) limited" in the WIC program. "Since last year, FDA has known that white canned tuna has three times as much mercury as light tuna," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. "So why is the federal WIC program continuing to subsidize the tuna industry and, in effect, the poisoning of low-income Americans with mercury from white albacore tuna?"

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=38854

U.S. Should Stop Exposing Poor to Mercury in White Tuna, Say Advocates

Contact: Michael Bender Mercury Policy Project, 802-223-9000

-snip-

"According to the US Department of Agriculture, canned tuna is the most heavily consumed fish that pregnant women and children eat-hence it is likely to be their largest exposure source of mercury," said MPP director Bender. "Therefore, we strongly recommend that white albacore canned tuna be eliminated from the WIC food package."

Currently, canned tuna is the only animal meat protein source offered by WIC programs, except in Hawaii. Earlier this year, Hawaii became the first state authorized by USDA to offer canned salmon-which contains far less mercury-in place of tuna. The request was justified primarily due to high rates of exposure to mercury by indigenous populations who eat above average amounts of fish. But even for those Americans who eat far less fish, mercury exposure from canned tuna raise serious concerns.

-snip-

One in six women of childbearing age carry mercury in their blood above the level that would pose a risk to a developing fetus, according to EPA scientists. Thus, an estimated 630,000 newborns are threatened every year by neurological impairment from exposure during pregnancy.
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more and more american women are learning what it is like to have a "neurological impairment" in a child.

don't eat tuna.

[MatrixEscape]

1. At what point should they require

the label to say: Canned Mercury With Tuna?

[crickets]

2. Somebody's got to eat that tuna

Otherwise those involved in the industry would lose money. :eyes: :grr:

[SoCalDem]

3. WIC vouchers should be for ground beef

not tuna..

refrigeration is not the issue, because WIC vouchers are for milk too..

$2.00 off ground beef would be a better value to the mother..

[tkmorris]

4. I hear ya but.........

I'd much rather see chicken or turkey than ground beef. They are healthier than a steady diet of hamburger.

[SoCalDem]

5. that would work too..

as long as it specified that they would not be accepted for the "fancy" expensive cuts.. like the boneless chicken breasts..

I buy those because I am lazy and don't mind paying the premium, but wic should get the people the MOST food for the least money:)

[Eloriel]

6. Don't eat tuna, don't eat salmon, don't eat farm-rasied fish

There's not any that I know of that is considered still safe. (The farm-raised fish are loaded with PCBs.)

Just when I'm beginning to like it now and then. :-(

On the subject of poisoning the poor, this is so outrageous. White meat tuna used to be prime -- and more expensive (it still might be, I don't know). Of COURSE they wouldn't give the good stuff to the poor. God, this makes me angry.