FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION

The supply of wild fish and shellfish cannot keep up with the rising global demand. Farmed fish and seafood can supply a fresh, nutritious, reliable, year-round source of protein. The demand for fish and seafood in North America alone is expected to rise by 40 per cent by 2010.

Statistics Canada reports that Canadians are eating more fish and seafood. Their data indicates that consumption increased by 10 per cent between 1991 and 2003. They speculate that this is likely a reflection of changing demographics, increased ethnic diversity, and a more nutrition-conscious population.

There are many benefits to eating fish and seafood on a regular basis, whether it is wild or farmed. Studies show that people who eat seafood at least once per week significantly lower their risk of heart disease and stroke.

The federal government recognizes the significant benefits associated with aquaculture and places a high priority on sustainable aquaculture development, food safety and consumer protection. Our research, and common sense, tells us that Canadian consumers want to know if fish and seafood, farmed or wild, is healthy and safe to feed to their families. The following links will help answer this question. Our goal is to provide balanced information that put the benefits and risks of seafood consumption into perspective to help people make well-informed decisions about their diet. As new information becomes available, we will post it here.

• Benefits and risks of consuming fish and shellfish
• FAQs on Food Safety - Farmed Fish and Seafood
• Safety tips for buying and storing fish and seafood
• Safe Food Storage (produced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

• PBDEs in fish (Health Canada fact sheet)
• PCBs and Food Safety (Health Canada fact sheet and FAQs)
• Fish & Seafood Survey (Health Canada, 2002)
• Food safety facts on mercury and fish consumption (CFIA)
• What you need to know before harvesting shellfish this summer (CFIA)

For more information …

• Flesh Quality of Market-Size Farmed and Wild British Columbia Salmon
   
• United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service: Seafood and Your Health
   
• Farmed salmonids are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and contain very few residues of environmental contaminants [ Permission to translate and post this article was generously provided by Richard Morin from the ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ). ]
• Healthy Food Choices: Good Reasons to Recommend Foods of Animal Origin

Note: This page contains links to Web sites not under the control of the Government of Canada.  For further information on our hyperlinking practices, please refer to the Hyperlinking Notice.

Last Updated : 2007-01-30

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