Seafood’s critical role in supporting brain and eye development during pregnancy and early childhood is being overshadowed by lingering fears over mercury, according to nutrition expert Maya Maroto. Speaking at the Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s 9th annual State of the Science Symposium on September 23, Maroto emphasized that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) current guidance still prioritizes “fear over facts.”

The FDA encourages seafood consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but its consumer materials continue to lead with warnings about mercury exposure. Maroto, a former FDA branch chief and now vice president at FoodMinds, argued that this approach discourages families from reaping the well-documented benefits of omega-3s and other essential nutrients found in fish.

She pointed out that today’s messaging stems largely from historic tragedies unrelated to commercial seafood – most notably the mercury poisoning disaster in Minamata, Japan in the 1950s and subsequent studies in the Faroe Islands involving whale meat. “We’re letting the ghosts of the past deprive our future generations of reaching their full potential,” she said.

Industry leaders see this as a call to action: stronger communication around seafood’s proven health benefits can help families make informed choices and ensure children gain the developmental advantages that fish and shellfish provide.