Connecticut Promotes Seafood to Women

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Connecticut Food Association (CFA) have launched an expanded effort to help women consumers decide which species of fish to eat in order to enjoy their healthy benefits while reducing the risk of ingesting certain chemicals.

CFA’s grocery retailer members have recently begun posting voluntarily post signs and cards in all participating stores with advice on the best fish choices are available at food stores at the fish counter. New versions of the sign and takeaway cards are being made available that focus on the best types of fish to eat, which are designated by “hearts,” that include sole, wild salmon, trout, flounder and pollock.

A special media event to kick off the program took place last week at the ShopRite supermarket at the corner of Prospect and Kane Streets in West Hartford.

“The sign program emphasizes that fish is part of a healthy diet but that women of child bearing age and young children face possible hazards from eating too much of certain species that are contaminated with mercury or PCBs,” said Stan Sorkin, CFA president. “It is the food industry’s responsibility to effectively communicate this information to our consumers.”

CDPH commissioner J. Robert Galvin concurred. “As public health practitioners, we encourage people to eat more fish for the heart-healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but we also urge people to limit eating some specific fish species because of the risk of toxins, such as mercury. People should not be afraid to eat fish, but people who consume large amounts of fish on a daily or weekly basis need to understand their risk.”

For more information, visit http://www.ctfoodassociation.org/ or call (860) 677-8097.