Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine, recommends the following guidelines for safe seafood consumption.
Pregnant women and children younger than 12 may eat six to 12 ounces of seafood a week, including up to six ounces of albacore tuna. For children, a reasonable intake is two 3-ounce servings “or age-appropriate servings,” but they can safely eat 12 ounces a week.
Pregnant women and children should avoid big predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel, which have higher mercury levels.
For healthy teenagers and adults and those at risk of heart disease, who eat more than two servings of seafood a week, they should be sure to eat different kinds of seafood to reduce the risk of exposure to contaminants
Fatty fish like salmon have the highest omega-3 levels but also have more saturated fat and cholesterol and can have higher levels of dioxin and PCBs. They tend to have less mercury.
Shellfish and crustaceans are low in saturated fat but can have moderate amounts of cholesterol and present the greatest risk of microbial infection if eaten raw.
In all seafood, levels of dioxin, PCBs and other contaminants do not pose health risks when eaten in government-recommended amounts.
Top 10 most-consumed types of seafood as compiled by Bloomberg News
1. Shrimp
2. Canned Tuna
3. Salmon
4. Pollock
5. Catfish
6. Tilapia
7. Crab
8. Cod
9. Clams
10. Flatfish such as flounder, sole and halibut
