In The News: The Big Fish Exposé

Last week's report on the alarmingly high mercury content of tuna sushi served in various New York City restaurants made consumer and industry ears perk up.

Remember, "a chain of five stores in New York, Gourmet Garage, sold tuna that in the New York Times test had mercury concentrations above one part per million, the Food and Drug Administration’s “action level,” at which the fish can be taken off the market."

Consumers are undoubtedly taking the issue seriously.

"At Eli’s Manhattan, on New York’s Upper East Side, sales of tuna sushi were down 30 percent in the past week," the New York Times reports in this follow-up article.

Now the Environmental Protection Agency is stepping in and beginning to test the mercury levels of the 20 most consumed fish in the New York City area.

I'm looking forward to reading the results.

In the meantime, please do not view discard something as wonderful healthy as seafood as high-mercury poison.

The real "red flag" is raised with large fish (that accumulate mercury in their system through consuming smaller fish).

Smaller species such as salmon, tilapia, flounder, sardines, and sole are among the lowest in mercury.

Remember, too, that mollusks and crustaceans such as shrimp, scallops, prawns, and crab are healthy low-mercury options.