Smart Seafood Guide Suggests Consumers Avoid Imports

Given the Gulf oil spill, what's the safest seafood to eat? A consumer's guide, released today, steers consumers away from imported seafood as well as farmed salmon, bluefin tuna, swordfish, Atlantic cod and for adventurous eaters — American eel.

"Unfortunately, because of the spill, many people are considering imported seafood as a safer alternative to domestic. Often, it's not," said Marianne Cufone, director of the fish program at the Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group that released the 2010 Smart Seafood Guide.

Less than 2% of imported seafood is inspected, according to the guide, which analyzed more than 100 types of seafood to assess their impact on human health and the environment.

In contrast, federal inspectors have tested hundreds of samples of Gulf fish and shrimp in recent months and, according to USA TODAY colleague Rick Jervis, only one sample out of 1,007 has shown any risky residue. He cites data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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