Cook

We know that everyone loves to deep fry their catfish… but did you know you can actually avoid contaminants by cookin’ your fish differently?

Every single major river in Alabama, the River State, has at least one fish consumption advisory for methylmercury. Methylmercury is a known neurotoxin and is very harmful to women and children… and you can’t reduce your exposure without limiting your consumption. ADPH recommends limiting consumption to a portion of 6 oz cooked (or 8 oz raw) and the number of meals is outlined in the consumption advisory itself. How much fish you eat under a consumption advisory matters…

Unfortunately, PCBs (a known carcinogen) accumulate in the fatty tissue of fish. To reduce your exposure, you should remove any fat or dark meat, then filet the fish, and cook your catch in a way that allows any remaining fat to drain away. The way you cook your fish matters! 

Good News: we have some yummy local catch recipes you can try that are lip smackin’ good!

Bad news: you oughta avoid deep frying your fish that have a PCB fish consumption advisory.