Some Results of Recent Surveys of Fish and Shellfish Consumption by Age and Region of U.S. Residents

Abstract

Since ingestion of foods is considered a major source of pollutant intake by man, the knowledge of detailed food consumption patterns is necessary to determine health risks and compliance with regulatory standards. As currently-available literature lacks data necessary for complete evaluation of aquatic foods via human consumption of fish and shellfish, a review of recent surveys of fish consumption in the U.S. was performed. The data in these surveys were subjected to statistical analysis to determine percentage distributions of individuals eating different quantities of marine and freshwater fish and shellfish. Included are surveys on consumption of sportfish from the Columbia River (Ho71) and Lake Michigan areas (Hu78) and a comprehensive study of fish consumption in the nine census regions of the U.S. (Na73–74). The results of these studies indicate that the quantity, as reported, of each type of fish eaten increases as a function of the age of consumers. Regional differences are most apparent in the use of shellfish and freshwater fish. About 94% of children and 96–100% of adults eat some kind of fish with a per capita average of 4.97 kg/yr. Since this quantity is on an actual consumption basis, as opposed to “as purchased”, the per capita consumption rate is lower than usually reported in the literature.