New voluntary fish-labeling program

ITHACA, N.Y., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A voluntary fish-labeling program has been initiated to help U.S. consumers make informed choices about fish that may harbor chemical contaminants.

"The program uses certified, independent laboratories to test for environmental pollutants, particularly mercury and PCBs, in fish," said Barbara Knuth, professor and chair of natural resources at Cornell University, who has researched risk communication, risk perception and risk management associated with chemical contaminants in fish.

She advises Seafood Safe to help develop methodology, standards and labels on how to communicate a product's risk to consumers. The labels indicate how many meals consumers can consume of the product each month without being exposed to dangerous levels of contaminants. The labels use standards derived from Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Seafood Safe was founded in 2005 by Henry Lovejoy, president of EcoFish, a New Hampshire-based company that produces frozen fish dinners with sustainable harvested seafood.