Seafood Hotline : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 2)

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In addition to the hot line, FDA is engaged in other activities to inform the public about seafood safety concerns, some of which can have serious health ramifications. Last year, FDA produced a series of brochures on seafood safety targeted to high-risk populations: people with liver disease, AIDS and other immune disorders, diabetes mellitus, and gastrointestinal disorders.

"We want to tell people how important it is for them to handle and cook fish properly and to warn them of the dangers of eating raw molluscan shellfish," says Welch. Hot line callers can also listen to a prerecorded message about eating raw shellfish and can have the brochure they select mailed or faxed to them. If they have additional questions, they can call during operating hours (noon to 4 p.m. Eastern time weekdays) and speak to a public affairs specialist. About 7,900 brochures, including about 1,000 high- risk brochures, have been distributed through the hot line. "There are misconceptions about seafood safety that still exist and educational gaps that need to be filled," adds Welch. "If people handle fish in an unsafe manner at home and get sick, they may believe the seafood was not safe when they purchased it. We believe that in most instances, it could have easily been prevented with some simple education. The FDA is responsible for seafood safety. When consumers think seafood, they should think FDA."

Automation for Education

The hot line has been able to provide a variety of educational materials to consumers through the automated message system and the Flash Fax feature. This system allows callers to select a brochure to be sent to their own facsimile machine simply by pressing numbers on their telephone. In a matter of minutes the caller has the requested information in hand.

The automated system captured 73 percent of the calls through which consumers accessed current topics and general seafood information 24 hours a day. Callers listened to 2,000 messages on seafood safety, purchasing, and nutrition labeling. There are up to 50 prerecorded messages, including current press releases and FDA backgrounders on seafood issues.

According to Welch, "The automated hot line is an efficient way of getting educational materials out, but by speaking directly to the consumer we can get an immediate feel for their knowledge and for gaps and misunderstandings that exist between us. By listening and responding to consumers' concerns, we are better focusing our educational materials to target actual needs."

During operating hours, the hot line is staffed by two public affairs specialists with specific training in seafood safety. By logging the consumer questions into a computer, the hot line staff can identify trends in consumer inquiries, complaints and concerns.

The first few months of the hot line have provided information that will guide FDA in developing educational and informational materials that the public needs and wants. Hot line callers have initiated several complaints, most concerning canned tuna, which were referred through FDA's epidemiological and environmental operations branch. The hot line system also referred more than 225 consumers to a manufacturing company's toll-free consumer line when the company issued a recall on canned tuna.

The hot line number has appeared in at least 40 newspapers and in magazine articles in such publications as Bon Appetit, American Health, and True Story. Fifty-four percent of the callers found the number in these publications (32 percent in newspapers and 22 percent in magazines). Ten percent of the callers learned of the hot line number from FDA district offices and the FDA Medical Bulletin. Professional and business organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Seafood Institute provided the number to their constituents.

"We have worked with the Office of Seafood on consumers' concerns about chemical contaminants and the quality of tuna," Welch said. "The hot line has shown the need for more information on safe storage and proper handling of seafood and about recreational fishers heeding state closures and advisories."

With the number of calls averaging 2,200 per month and with many magazines scheduled to run the hot line number in upcoming issues, hot line staffers look forward to continuing to respond to consumers' questions about the safety of seafood.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.