Fin and Dandy

Low-mercury fish label debuts in Northern California

If you love fish but avoid it because you're worried about high mercury content, you may be in luck -- if you live in Northern California, that is. Pacific Seafood Group, a large fish wholesaler, has partnered with Holiday Quality Foods, a chain of 19 grocery stores in rural Northern California, to test-market fish labeled as low-mercury. Fish to be sold under the new Safe Harbor brand will be tested for mercury before being packaged, and only those with mercury levels well below the FDA-recommended level of one part per million will make the cut. At least half of the fish tested are expected to be rejected -- which is scary. If Safe Harbor proves to be a safe venture, certified low-mercury fish may show up in other markets in the future.