Activists get stores, eateries to post mercury alerts
WASHINGTON -- The handwritten signs, featuring a bright red tropical fish, warn of potential health risks lurking in Trader Joe's freezer compartment.
The signs inform consumers about the mercury levels in various kinds of fish, including king mackerel , shark , swordfish, and tilefish . Stores like Trader Joe's have placed them near freezers and seafood counters and in canned food aisles at the urging of Oceana, a Washington environmental group. The group says it is cajoling a growing number of supermarket chains nationwide into posting similar signs.
A recent government report found that the benefits of eating fish twice weekly can outweigh the risks. But too much can be bad for some people, like pregnant women and young children. Mercury can harm an unborn fetus or a child's developing nervous system.
This month, California-based Bon Appetit cafes and restaurants started placing table-top cards that indicate which kinds of fish have high mercury levels. And as soon as next week, shoppers at Shaw's supermarkets in Massachusetts will be able to take home a mercury advisory intended to help them make wiser seafood purchases.
The information about mercury comes from the Food and Drug Administration . But the cash-strapped federal agency had little to do with signs that, in addition to Trader Joe's, have sprouted at Safeway Inc., Shaw's, and Whole Foods Market Inc. stores in the past year. In fact, the FDA worries that the messages could unnecessarily confuse or alarm consumers.
The agency in 2004 issued guidelines with the Environmental Protection Agency indicating which fish species are highest in mercury and pointing out who is most at risk. But consumer advocates say the information remains buried on the FDA website. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit group that focuses on nutrition, health, and food safety, created signs to label high mercury fish. This summer, the FDA rejected the group's request that supermarkets be required to post them.
That's why Oceana has stepped in. The signs it endorses identify the kinds of fish that some women and young children should avoid or rarely eat. It's up to the store to pick the design. Longer versions of the signs, such as those posted by Safeway, include examples of seafood low in mercury. Some, like shrimp, are top sellers.
Supermarket chains that add the signs earn a berth on Oceana's "green" list, said Jackie Savitz , director of the group's pollution campaign. She called the signs a "common sense solution" that could actually help increase sales of some fish. By pointing out unsafe fish, she said, consumers will feel better about buying varieties lower in mercury, such as tilapia or flounder.
"They can still buy the fish. It's good for them. It's good for the store. It's good for the fishermen," Savitz said.
Marion Nestle, a New York University nutrition professor and author of "What to Eat," said she is pleased by Oceana's success in getting stores to place signs. "I'm astounded that there are signs at all," she said.
"I refer to the fish counter as the Wild West of the supermarket: It's kind of anything goes," Nestle said. "They're not following the rules about country of origin labeling in a lot of places. And they're certainly not being helpful."
But Dr. David Acheson , chief medical officer at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition , said the agency's mercury message is too complex to condense -- as the signs attempt to do -- and remain accurate.
The FDA "prefers that the actual advisory, in its entirety, be made available at the point of sale," Acheson said. "Summarized versions, or the simple posting of mercury levels, may confuse consumers and have consequences that are not in the best interest of public health."
The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, recently reported that eating fish and shellfish can lower heart disease risks. The institute said women who eat fish high in "good" fat can contribute to their infant's vision and cognitive development. But pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers should avoid predatory fish that have high levels of mercury, such as king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish, the report said.
"Women of child-bearing age should be educated concerning the health benefits and possible risks associated with a few fish species, but warning signs posted at the fish counter could drive women -- and potentially other consumers -- away from fish," said Stacey Viera, a spokeswoman for the National Fisheries Institute, which represents the fishing industry.
Shaw's said it will display "consumer friendly" brochures that provide more space than a sign to discuss the mercury issue.
"We want to provide customers with accurate information about product ingredients so that customers can make informed food choices," said a spokeswoman, Judy Chong .
Diedtra Henderson can be reached at dhenderson@globe.com. 
