Washington — On Monday in Portland, Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) Director of Research David Martosko will be presenting CCF’s report “Tuna Meltdown” during a poster session at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish. The annual conference will take place Nov. 2 through Nov. 4, at Portland’s Governor Hotel.
“Tuna Meltdown” concludes that between 2000 and 2006, more than 250,000 children born into U.S. low-income households were denied the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids because their pregnant mothers completely stopped buying canned tuna. Canned tuna is the only consistently affordable source of omega-3 fatty acids for economically disadvantaged Americans, who can’t afford more expensive fatty fish or non-fish omega-3 sources (like flaxseed oil).
CCF analyzed nationwide consumer food purchasing data from ACNielsen for “Tuna Meltdown,” finding that 4.4 million U.S. households in the $30,000-and-under earning bracket completely stopped buying canned tuna between 2000 and 2006.
“We’ve seen a dramatic decline in canned tuna purchasing in America,” said Martosko. “For low-income households, that often means a total lack of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. This is the predictable result of complicated and inaccurate federal fish consumption guidelines, along with mercury misinformation campaigns waged by environmental activist groups.”
Martosko continued: “How can the government justify issuing fish warnings when its own data show pregnant women aren’t eating nearly enough fish as it is? The FDA and EPA should revise their outdated advisories before hundreds of thousands more children are born at risk of an intellectual disadvantage. It’s time to demand that everyone start putting our children’s interests first.”
“Tuna Meltdown” can be downloaded at www.MercuryFacts.org
