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EFSA Fish Survey Puts Mercury Advice on the Weekly Shopping List
A 2026 EFSA survey finds many European fish eaters are still unclear about mercury advice. Here is how to turn the findings into a practical, safer seafood plan.
Fish remains a valuable part of a balanced diet, but the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says shoppers should pay closer attention to which species they buy and how often they serve them. In research published on 12 February 2026, EFSA examined fish and seafood consumption across the European Union, Iceland and Norway, alongside consumers’ awareness of national advice about mercury.
The headline finding is not a recommendation to stop eating fish. It is a reminder that species choice matters. Around 60% of people surveyed said they eat fish or seafood. Among those consumers, 34% of adolescents and adults and 33% of pregnant women said they ate fish species with the highest maximum levels for mercury contamination three or more times per week. EFSA cautions that the survey results contain uncertainties about how representative the samples are, but says the findings are useful for improving public communication.
What EFSA measured
The survey focused on awareness and eating frequency, not on diagnosing exposure or measuring mercury in individuals. EFSA compared responses from a first survey carried out in all 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway in April and May 2023 with a second survey conducted in selected countries after some national recommendations had changed.
The species discussed by EFSA include large predator fish such as shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna and bluefin tuna. These fish feed on smaller fish and can accumulate mercury over their lifetimes. The concern is mainly methylmercury, the form associated with effects on brain and nervous-system development in foetuses and young children. That is why pregnant women and other groups covered by national dietary advice may receive more specific guidance.
At the same time, EFSA stresses the nutritional value of fish and seafood. Its research notes that fish can contribute to cognitive and immune development in infants and may support cardiovascular health in adults. The practical message is therefore about managing the balance between benefits and exposure, not treating all seafood as interchangeable or unsafe.
What the advice means in the kitchen
Most national authorities in the EU recommend one to two portions per week of fish and seafood species with higher mercury maximum levels, or three to four portions of species with lower maximum levels. EFSA describes the lower groups using regulatory limits of 0.5 or 0.3 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of fish, compared with 1.0 milligram per kilogram for the higher group. These are broad patterns rather than a replacement for the advice issued by the authority in your country.
For home cooks, the useful change is to plan variety before shopping. Do not build a week around repeated servings of the same large predatory fish simply because it is familiar or easy to find. Instead, check the species name on the label, compare it with your national guidance, and use smaller fish or lower-limit species when that is the recommended substitution. EFSA specifically notes that pregnant women are often advised to replace large fish with smaller fish containing less mercury.
A five-step seafood check
- Check the local advice. Before planning meals, open the current food-safety or public-health guidance for your country. Recommendations can differ between countries and population groups.
- Read the species name. “Tuna” is not a complete risk category by itself: EFSA specifically identifies bigeye and bluefin tuna among the large predators discussed in its research. If the species is unclear, ask the retailer or choose a clearly labelled alternative.
- Plan the whole week. Count portions across fresh, frozen, canned and restaurant meals rather than looking at one dinner in isolation. Keep higher-limit species within the frequency recommended by your local authority.
- Rotate the menu. Use smaller fish or species listed in the lower-limit group for other meals, following national advice. This keeps fish on the menu while avoiding a repeated pattern of the same large predator.
- Handle the food safely. Keep raw fish cold on the way home, refrigerate it promptly, and keep raw seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods during preparation. Cook it according to the package instructions or local food-safety guidance; cooking is not a substitute for choosing species and frequency carefully.
Why this remains useful now
EFSA’s metals topic page, reviewed on 21 July 2026, says the authority is carrying out a broader risk-benefit assessment of fish consumption that considers nutritional benefits alongside mercury and other contaminants. That work is expected to continue through the end of 2027. Until updated national advice is issued, the sensible approach is to follow the guidance already available locally and use the EFSA survey as a prompt to make the weekly shopping list more deliberate.
The survey also found that consumers generally recognised the benefits of fish more readily than its potential risks. A clearer routine helps close that gap: keep eating fish if it fits your diet, vary the species, check the label, and take extra care with the advice applying to pregnancy, children or other vulnerable groups. For the full findings, read EFSA’s survey announcement and its current metals and contaminants guidance.