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Fish is important in a healthy diet, but some people need to avoid fish with high levels of mercury

Westchester County has renewed its campaign to have supermarkets throughout the county get the word out that pregnant and nursing women, women of child-bearing age and young children should avoid eating fish with high levels of mercury. 

County Executive Andy Spano today applauded A&P and two other area supermarkets for joining the county’s campaign to have supermarkets throughout Westchester get the word out that pregnant and nursing women, women of child-bearing age and young children should avoid eating fish with high levels of mercury. 

In May, the county announced that 62 supermarkets were distributing an informational brochure titled Mercury and Fish or were posting an advisory sign about mercury at the seafood counter.  At the time, there  were 31 holdouts, including 25 supermarkets owned by A&P. The A&P chain has now joined the effort, as have Sam’s Club and Balducci’s.

“With A&P, Sam’s Club and Balducci’s joining our effort, we now have 89 supermarkets in the county participating,” Spano said. “I commend them for this, and now call on the four holdouts to participate.”

Spano identified the holdouts as: CostCo (3 stores) and Stew Leonard’s.

 “We now have 95 percent participation county-wide. We would like to have 100 percent,” he said.

The educational effort began in 2004 when the county first asked supermarkets to distribute the  brochure.  Initially, many supermarkets were distributing the brochure. Late last year, however, the county Department of Consumer Protection found that only a few supermarkets were still doing so.

“Fish plays an important role in a healthy and well-balanced diet,” said Spano. “But some fish have high amounts of mercury, which can have toxic effects and cause birth defects and neurological problems.”

Jackie Savitz, director of the Campaign to Stop Seafood Contamination conducted by Oceana, a nonprofit advocacy group, said of the Westchester effort: “Westchester County is the first county in the United States to recognize and implement this simple solution to the mercury-in-fish conundrum. By requiring stores to post the FDA advice, the county is helping to protect its residents, especially its children, from the subtle effects of mercury contamination.”

Although all species of fish and shellfish contain trace levels of mercury, some varieties have higher levels. While too much mercury can have health impacts on everyone, higher levels may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system.  Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended that pregnant and nursing women, women of childbearing age and young children avoid eating swordfish, shark, king mackerel, albacore tuna and tilefish (also known as golden snapper and golden bass).     

Other commonly eaten fish, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish are low in mercury.  Women and young children who eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of these varieties will receive the benefits of eating fish while reducing their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

Here is a list of participating supermarkets in Westchester:

• A&P
• Associated
• Balducci
• BJ’s Club
• C-Town — 5 locations
• D’Agostino — 3 locations
• DeCicco Marketplace — 5 locations
• Food City
• Food Emporium — 4 locations (out of  7)
• Foodtown — 2 locations
• Green & White Market/Morton Williams Fresh Market
• Gristede’s — 2 locations
• Kam Sen Foods
• Key Food Marketplace
• Met Foods
• N. Caribbean Food
• Pathmark — 4 locations
• Sam's Club 
• Scotts Corner Market
• Shoprite — 6 locations
• Stop N Shop — 15 locations
• Top Tomato
• Trader Joe’s — 3 locations
• Turco’s
• Western Beef
• Whole Foods Market