“Eat more fish”, says Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has encouraged people to eat more fish following the publication of the “most comprehensive surveys of fish eaten in the UK.”

Two FSA surveys show that levels of pollutants in most fish continue to fall, reinforcing the FSA’s advice that most people should eat more fish.

Oil-rich fish give added protection against heart disease

Commenting on the publication of these surveys, Lydia Wilkie, Assistant Director, FSA Scotland said: “The results of these surveys are good news. We don't eat enough fish in Britain and we should be eating more. Eating fish is a good way to get protein and some essential vitamins and minerals, and oily fish – for example salmon, sardines and mackerel - also give added protection against heart disease.”

Long-standing public health advice from the FSA continues to be that people should eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oil-rich. However, on average, people in the UK eat only a third of a portion of oil-rich fish a week and seven out of ten don't eat any oil-rich fish at all.

To view the full comments and the specific consumption advice for particular groups of people from the FSA visit www.food.gov.uk.

To view the Joint Health Claims Initiative’s approved claim for long-chain Omega-3s and heart health visit http://www.jhci.org.uk/approv/omega.htm.