Morey's Seafood International

Morey’s Seafood International is committed to providing our consumers with quality food they can trust. We at Morey’s feel it is important to address all issues surrounding fish and seafood consumption. We have included information about possible consumer issues that have received recent media attention. It is our hope that this information will help you to dispel any potential misconceptions and helps to educate you about the realities and benefits of consuming fish and seafood.

Being an industry leader, Morey’s is always working hard to create exciting new products and help grow the overall consumption of fish and seafood.  Check back often to learn about our latest activities, innovations and accomplishments.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PCB’S

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a broad class of industrial chemicals once used extensively in electrical equipment, carbonless carbon paper and hydraulic fluids.  Prior to strict controls being placed on their use and disposal in the 1970s, large quantities were released into the environment

The manufacture of PCBs was banned in 1979 in the U.S. Despite the fact that workers exposed to PCBs in an industrial setting did not show an increased risk of cancer and that there have been no human studies that indicate a link between PCB exposure from fish and cancer, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) established tolerance levels for PCB trace residues in different types of food.   Products containing more than these tolerances are prohibited from the market. The current FDA tolerance for PCBs in fish of 2,000 parts per billion (ppb) [or 2 parts per million (ppm)] was established in the early 1980s.

More recent Environmental Protection Agency data indicates that PCBs levels in the environment have declined.

Commercial fish in the marketplace are well within the FDA tolerance level, and have been for more than a decade. FDA samples of both domestic and imported salmon in 1989 showed a mean parts-per-million (ppm) level of 0.39 in 1989, which fell to 0.21 in 1990 and again to 0.15 in 1991.  For more information related to PCB levels and tolerances please go to http://www.fda.com/.

• Fish Consumption and Reproductive Outcomes in Green Bay, Wisconsin, E. Dar, M.S.

Kanarek, H.A. Anderson and W.C. Sonzogni, Environmental Research 59, 189-201 (1992)

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration, "Findings of Total PCBs in Selected Fish Species, FY

1989-1991" Environmental Protection Agency, Draft Report on the Environment , Executive
Summary, p. iii

What you should know about Mercury

Mercury enters the water from man-made and natural sources, such as volcanoes. Fish have always absorbed mercury through their food. Most fish contains trace amounts of mercury and the average concentration in the 10 most popular commercial fish is 5 times safer than the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s limit of 1.0 part per million.

Importantly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control have never documented a case of mercury poisoning in the U.S. from eating commercially caught fish. Public health professionals encourage Americans to eat fish as part of a healthy diet. Its’ high-protein, low-fat nature means that fish can be part of a weight control plan.   Fish has a long history of being a heart-healthy meal.

The FDA has developed special advice for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. Because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are vital to mothers and the developing baby, expectant mothers should be sure to include a variety of fish in their diets.

FDA advises pregnant women to avoid eating shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel, species that can approach the FDA’s limit. Most importantly, the American Heart Association, the National Academy of Sciences and the World Health Organization recommend regular fish consumption for its many health benefits.

"Global Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Farmed Salmon", Science 2004.
By Charles R. Santerre, PhD; Associate Professor, Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University

For more information regarding mercury levels in fish please log on to www.fda.gov