Inspection Program for Seafood Urged

A nutrition group, saying the health benefits of eating fish are being offset by the risk of contamination, today launched a quest to set up a new federal inspection program for seafood.

“This is a public health scandal in the making that requires first-rate legislative attention immediately,” said Ellen Haas, director of Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, a nonprofit advocacy group.

A study released by the group said that Americans, attracted to fish in growing numbers because it is a healthful source of protein, are at the same time at increasing risk from bacterial, viral and toxic contamination because seafood is among the least regulated foods.

“We advise consumers to eat fish only with caution--to avoid raw fish . . . to avoid fish from known contaminated waters,” Haas told a news conference.

Spokesmen for the fisheries industry, while saying they also favor a stepped-up inspection program for their products, called the Public Voice warnings overblown.

Richard Gutting, the institute’s lobbyist, said the industry is awaiting the outcome of a two-year, $350,000 federal effort to design an improved inspection program.