Fish and Seafood Remain Important Part of Healthy Eating

Fish and Seafood Remain Important Part of Healthy Eating

OTTAWA, ON: Canada’s Minister of Health, the Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor unveiled Canada’s new Food Guide to support healthy dietary choices and practices. The new Food Guide includes a suite of online resources to help meet the different needs of different users—including the general public. The new guidance moves away from the four food groups to broader eating habits and encouraging Canadians to substitute protein sources containing saturated fats in favour of those with unsaturated fats to promote better cardiovascular health. Fish and seafood are low in saturated fat and represent important sources of protein. Moreover, fish and seafood are available in convenient formats such as fresh, frozen, canned and smoked.

“The nutritional and health benefits of fish and seafood are not in dispute. It’s low in saturated fat, high in omega-3s, an important source of Vitamins D and B12 and high in essential minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and iodine, and it’s a sustainable source of protein,” says Paul Lansbergen, President of the Fisheries Council of Canada. “The new Food Guide recognizes the health benefits of eating fish and seafood and it acknowledges its importance as a traditional food of Indigenous Canadians,” says Lansbergen.

The weight of scientific opinion is that people should consume at least 150g of fish and seafood a week—about two servings. But despite the scientifically well-documented benefits associated with regularly eating seafood, Canadians aren’t consuming nearly enough fish. A 2011 survey found that 88 percent of Canadians aren’t consuming the recommended amount of fish and seafood and five percent don’t eat fish and seafood at all. “Studies have shown that if Canadians ate the recommended level of fish and seafood, the risk of coronary death would drop by 36 percent and total mortality by 17 percent,” says Lansbergen. “Beyond all the health benefits—it also comes down to quality and taste, and Canadian fish and seafood is second to none. We’re spearheading efforts to promote Canadian seafood at home and abroad and we’ll continue to remind customers why Canadian fish and seafood are an excellent choice.”

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is the voice of Canada’s fish and seafood industry, promoting a healthy resource and prosperous industry playing a vital role in the Canadian economy. Our members include small, medium and larger-sized companies along with Indigenous enterprises that harvest and process fish from Canada’s three oceans and inland waters.

For more information please contact:
Clarke Cross, Director, Policy and Regulatory Affairs

 

January 22, 2019 – Press Release:  Fish and Seafood Remain Important Part of Healthy Eating