Logo do repositório
 
Publicação

Development of National recommendations for fish consumption in Portugal considering methylmercury exposure

2025-09-25Documento de conferência Acesso aberto
Ver registo simples
datacite.subject.fosCiências Agrárias::Biotecnologia Agrária e Alimentar
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorFernandes, Paulo
dc.contributor.authorAfonso, Cláudia
dc.contributor.authorBico, Paula
dc.contributor.authorBandarra, Narcisa
dc.contributor.authorBorges, Marta
dc.contributor.authorCarmona, Paulo
dc.contributor.authorCarvalho, Catarina
dc.contributor.authorCorreia, Daniela
dc.contributor.authorGonçalves, Susana
dc.contributor.authorLopes, Carla
dc.contributor.authorLourenço, Helena
dc.contributor.authorMonteiro, Sarogini
dc.contributor.authorNabais, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorOliveira, Luísa
dc.contributor.authorSantiago, Susana
dc.contributor.authorSevero, M.
dc.contributor.authorTorres, Duarte
dc.contributor.authorDias, Maria da Graça
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-10T15:14:44Z
dc.date.available2026-02-10T15:14:44Z
dc.date.issued2025-09-25
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: Fish is an important part of the Portuguese diet and a major source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. However, it also represents the main dietary source of methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxic compound especially harmful during critical stages of development such as pregnancy and early childhood. In response to European Commission Recommendation EU 2022/1342, Portugal undertook a national initiative to assess MeHg exposure and derive population-based consumption guidelines. Methodology: A multidisciplinary working group comprising six public institutions and coordinated by the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV) was established in 2018. The team performed a quantitative risk–benefit assessment (RBA) combining national data on MeHg, EPA, and DHA levels in commonly consumed fish species with food consumption data from the National Food and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2016). The assessment considered both the toxicological risks of MeHg and the nutritional benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Results: The RBA showed that, for the general population, the benefits of fish consumption outweigh the risks of MeHg exposure. However, for vulnerable groups - pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 10 years—the risks were more significant. As a result, differentiated dietary recommendations were developed. For the general population, a frequency of 4–7 servings per week of any fish species was advised. For vulnerable groups, 3–4 servings per week of fish species with medium to low MeHg levels were recommended, while species with high MeHg content (e.g., fresh tuna, swordfish, shark) should be avoided. Conclusions: The resulting recommendations were disseminated through a multilingual infographic, public presentation, and press release. Additional outreach actions targeting health professionals and school meal providers are planned to increase awareness among at-risk populations. Topic relevance: This work exemplifies a science-based approach to public health policy, combining food safety and nutrition to inform national dietary guidelines, with direct implications for risk communication and health promotion.eng
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10882
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedno
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectMethylmercury
dc.subjectFish Consumptiom
dc.subjectDietary Recommendations
dc.subjectNational Recommendations
dc.subjectVulnerable Populations
dc.subjectRisk-Benefit Assessment
dc.subjectConsumo de Pescado
dc.subjectPopulação em Geral
dc.subjectExposição
dc.subjectMetilmercúrio
dc.subjectGrupos Vulneráveis
dc.subjectRecomendações Nacionais
dc.subjectSegurança Alimentar
dc.titleDevelopment of National recommendations for fish consumption in Portugal considering methylmercury exposureeng
dc.typeconference object
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.conferenceDate2025-09-25
oaire.citation.conferencePlaceFunchal, Madeira, Portugal
oaire.citation.title6th International Conference on Food Contaminants (ICFC), 25, 26 September 2025
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85

Ficheiros

Principais
A mostrar 1 - 1 de 1
Miniatura
Nome:
2025-PCF_ICFC_Recomendações pescado Hg.pdf
Tamanho:
976.86 KB
Formato:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Descrição:
Poster sobre o desenvolvimento de recomendações em Portugal para o consumo de peixe, considerando a exposição ao metilmercúrio, apresentado na 6.ª Conferência Internacional sobre Contaminantes Alimentares (ICFC 2025).
Ver/Abrir
Licença
A mostrar 1 - 1 de 1
Miniatura indisponível
Nome:
license.txt
Tamanho:
4.03 KB
Formato:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Descrição:
Ver/Abrir

Coleções

DAN - Posters/abstracts em congressos internacionais