Food-Based Dietary Guidelines Make Seafood a Priority, Sustainability an Afterthought

Abstract

Objectives National food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are adapted by governments reflecting their nation's food system and specific nutrition context, with varied approaches by country. Seafood is commonly included as one of many items in a “meat” or “animal-source” food group. It is currently unclear whether FBDG recommendations for seafood are achievable for the food supply, equitable for people, or sustainable for the planet. We seek to (1) Review the specific recommendations of national FBDGs related to seafood intake, quantifying the amount of seafood recommended for adults (2) Document the rationale for seafood consumption and mentions of sustainability (3) Estimate the supply required to meet recommendations and compare it with national fish production for each country. Methods The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) FBDG database was used to identify 92 countries with officially recognized FBDGs. Extracted data include (1) Recommended consumption of seafood (amounts, standard portion size, frequency of consumption and species/type) and (2) Mentions of sustainability. To calculate the fish supply needed to fulfill recommendations, conversions from cooked portions to raw (grams) seafood weights were used. These converted figures were then compared against that from FAO FishStat and the Sea Around Us database, and gaps/surpluses by country were identified. Mentions of sustainability were evaluated in terms of specific mention of fish vs. more generic recommendations. Results Out of 92 FBDGs, 77 mentioned seafood. Out of 40 high-income country's FBDG, 35 countries have a seafood servings per week recommendation, but only 23 provide serving size recommendations. Final presented results will illustrate the differences in the supply of seafood needed to meet recommended consumption levels. Sustainability was mentioned in eight guidelines independently of seafood and five additional mentioned seafood and sustainability together. Implications for sustainability of seafood production and global trade and nutritional status of populations will be discussed. Conclusions Seafood is systematically noted for healthy diets but rarely based on sustainable limits nor linked to sustainable goals. Funding Sources Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Fund, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Seafood Do Not Translate into Increased Long-Chain Omega-3 Levels in the Diet for U.S. Consumers

“…A number of prior studies have examined the details within different FBDGs, and found that seafood (or fish) was mentioned in 58% [24], 80% [25], 83.5% [27], or 83.7% [26]. A smaller number of FBDGs provided information on either the serving size or the number of meals per week.…”

“…A smaller number of FBDGs provided information on either the serving size or the number of meals per week. Graham et al [26] found that 35 FBDGs reported servings per week, and Herforth et al [24] reported an average of 2.2 servings per week, but only 23 provided the serving size. It is difficult to generalize serving size given the wide variability in how this metric is reported.…”

“…Increased LCn-3 consumption needs to align with social and environmental sustainability goals [44], and an environmentally sustainable consumption [45] approach to FBDGs is necessary, although has not yet been achieved [26]. Hallstrom et al [32] have identified key species for Sweden that meet both high nutrient density and low environmental impact targets, and this work needs to be conducted internationally to identify the best sources to meet nutrient goals for human health.…”

“…This review threads a link between disparate but complementary ideas and data sets. The following are known separate data points for global seafood: -How many countries include "seafood" or "fish" in their FBDGs [24][25][26][27]; -The amount of fish available within each country [28]; -The calculated level of dietary LCn-3s [20]; -The country-level variations in fish prices [29].…”