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prepared specifically in response to the Fish – a danger to health Although some POPs are now banned, it
St Ivel ‘clever milk’ campaign stating that: Almost all of the world’s oceans and will be years before they disappear from
“the evidence on the cognitive benefits rivers are polluted with toxic chemicals, the environment. Other POPs are still
of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, mainly from decades of industrial activity. being released. The World Wildlife Fund
which are found in fish oils, is currently The health risks from fish and fish oil have expressed concerns that global
uncertain.” Quite rightly, the Advertising supplements result directly from this. Oily warming could increase levels of POPs as
Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the fish such as salmon, trout, herring, sardines higher temperatures release chemicals
adverts were misleading and the claims and mackerel are invariably contaminated frozen in glaciers.
unproven, not least because results from whilst shark, marlin and swordfish can also
trials involving children with learning contain high levels of mercury. Long-term High levels of POPs in human blood
difficulties could not be applied to all exposure to these damaging substances is have been linked to insulin
children. The adverts were withdrawn. a threat to health. resistance and diabetes. Some
scientists say resignedly
The Joint Health Claims Initiative operated POP goes the seawall that it is hard to avoid
between 2000 and 2007, checking the Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are POPs while
science behind health claims. During particularly nasty and are found in oily others believe
this period it approved claims for soya fish. POPs come from plastics, paints and that they need
protein, oats and reduced saturated fat pesticides and don’t break down easily in to be seriously
for their cholesterol-lowering effects and the environment, building up in the food considered when
wholegrain foods for their benefits to heart chain. A small fish eats some larvae, then a planning treatment.
health. It also approved health claims for bigger fish eats the small fish, then an even Avoiding fish is one
omega-3 fats for healthy hearts. It did not bigger fish eats that fish, and so on. Fish at easy way to
approve any claims linking omega-3 fats to the top of the food chain – such as tuna, cut exposure.
improved brain function. shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel
– have the highest concentrations of POPs. PCBs and dioxins
In fact, fish oils may have no effect on Farmed salmon – which is most of the POPs known as
cognitive ability at all and encouraging salmon eaten – are of particular concern polychlorinated
children to take them in the pursuit of because of the concentration of POPs in biphenyls (PCBs)
cleverness may lead to far more serious the feed they eat, mostly wild-caught fish and dioxins are the
health problems from toxic chemicals. and fish oils. main toxins in oily
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