+ HEART DISEASE

Modest consumption of fish (e.g. the Canada Food Guide recommends 1-2 servings/wk) - especially species higher in the omega-3 fatty acids - reduces risk of coronary death by 36% and total mortality by 17%; it may also favorably affect other clinical outcomes such as a reduced risk of stroke.

STUDY

• Farmed Seafood and Canadian Health: How Higher Seafood Consumption Can Save Lives

• Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health: Evaluating the Risks and the Benefits

+ AGING

Omega-3 fatty acids consumed through seafood are important components of the brain and nerves. Eating fish may therefore be favorable for optimal brain function.

STUDY

• Consumption of fish and n-3 fatty acids and risk of incident Alzheimer disease

+ PREGNANCY

Seafood consumption during pregnancy and lactation may have a range of benefits. Getting enough omega-3’s is needed to build a developing child’s nervous system. DHA, one of the types of omega-3 fatty acids in seafood, is critical for normal eye and vision development in infants. Other studies suggest that omega-3’s improve cognitive development. These positive effects persist beyond infancy to influence cognition in later childhood.

STUDY

• Autism spectrum disorder phenotypes and prenatal exposure to methylmercury.

• Dietary Patterns, n-3 Fatty Acids Intake from Seafood and High Levels of Anxiety Symptoms during Pregnancy: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

• Fish consumption in infancy and development of allergic disease up to age 12

+ MERCURY CONCERNS

Research has shown that the levels of mercury in Canadian aquaculture products are far below the levels that could adversely impact health. Health Canada has only advised limited consumption of those predatory fish that are higher in mercury (fresh or frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy or escolar).

STUDY

• Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health: Evaluating the Risks and the Benefits

+ PCB's & DIOXINS

Harvard researchers have reported that they found that the benefits of eating fish far outweighed the potential risks of PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins. The levels of PCBs and dioxins in fish species are low – similar to other commonly consumed foods such as beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and butter.

Furthermore, only ~9% of the PCBs and dioxins in the food supply come from fish and other seafood; more than 90% comes from other foods such as meats, vegetables, and dairy products.

Contaminants

PCBs (ppm)

• CFIA Limits - 2.0
• FDA & EPA Limits - 2.0
• Atlantic Salmon - 0.014

Mercury (ppm)

• CFIA Limits - 0.5
• FDA & EPA Limits - 1.0
• Atlantic Salmon - 0.018

Dioxans and furans (ppt)

• CFIA Limits - 20
• FDA & EPA Limits - under development
• Atlantic Salmon - 0.082

Sources: CFIA, FDA, EPA, Dewailley et al.
Adapted from USFDA Market Basket Study 2003 and Dewailley et al. 2007

STUDY

• Update of the monitoring of levels of dioxins and PCBs in food and feed

+ THE COLOUR OF SALMON

The characteristic pink to red-orange color of wild and farmed salmon is due to naturally occurring pigments known as carotenoids. In addition to salmon, carotenoids give many crustaceans – such as shrimp, crawfish, crabs and lobster – their characteristic color. Living organisms require carotenoids for their proper growth and development.