(March 2004)
Food regulators regularly assess the potential risks associated with the presence of contaminants in the food supply to ensure that, for all sections of the population, these risks are minimised. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has recently reviewed its risk assessment for mercury in food. The results from this assessment indicate that certain groups, particularly pregnant women, women intending to become pregnant and young children (up to and including 6 years), should limit their consumption of some types of fish in order to control their exposure to mercury.
The risk assessment conducted by FSANZ that was published in 2004 used the most recent data and knowledge available at the time. FSANZ intends to review the advisory statement in the future and will take any new data and scientific evidence into consideration at that time.
Download: Mercury in fish - background to the mercury in fish advisory statement (pdf 231 kb) | (word 47 kb)