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Oceana is asking Giant Eagle and other grocery stores to post the Food and Drug Administration's mercury advice at their seafood counters. Because mercury can harm a young child or unborn baby's developing nervous system, the FDA has issued advice for women of child-bearing age and children to avoid certain fish that are contaminated with high levels of mercury, such as swordfish, and instead choose low-mercury fish, such as salmon.

Signs Warn Customers: Families should be equipped with this information at the place where they buy fish so that they can make informed seafood purchases. Studies have shown that as many as 30 percent of women planning to have a child or already pregnant do not know that mercury in fish could harm their children's development. Nearly 30% of major grocery companies are posting signs about mercury in fish and are recognized on Oceana's Green List but Giant Eagle has refused to take this step to protect its customers.

Brochures Don't Cut It: Some of Giant Eagle's stores display brochures about the FDA mercury advice but the company has refused to post signs. Brochures about mercury are not sufficient to grab the attention of busy shoppers. Just as information about what's on sale is posted prominently, not buried in a brochure, this important government health advice also needs to be visible on a sign.

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November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Giant Eagle,

As a customer of one of your stores, I am writing to ask you to post signs about the FDA mercury advice at your seafood counters.  I have learned from Oceana that a number of grocery companies, like Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods, have started posting this important information to help customers make informed decisions about which seafood to buy.

Since an EPA scientist has estimated that one in six women has enough mercury in her body to pose neurological risks to her developing baby and seafood is the primary route of exposure, it is clear that families need more information about this issue.

According to Oceana, some of your stores display brochures about mercury in seafood.  This is a step in the right direction but brochures are not sufficient to grab the attention of people who don't know about mercury in seafood. Shoppers are not looking for reading material when they are buying groceries, and most people, especially parents, are too busy to stop and read a brochure before they buy seafood.  Just as information about what's on sale or what's organic is usually posted prominently on a sign, not buried in a brochure, so too should this important government health advice.

I urge you to join Oceana's Green List of grocers who protect their customers from mercury. You can find the FDA advice at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html and Oceana's sample sign at http://www.oceana.org/fileadmin/oceana/uploads/mercury/signs/Sample_Sign.pdf.

We will add your signature from the information you provide.