The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – the basis of nutrition policy, education, and guidance in our country – include a clear seafood recommendation for the first time: Eat a variety of fish and shellfish at least twice each week for healthy hearts and brains. Unfortunately, most Americans eat less than half this amount and that is having a detrimental impact on their health and longevity.

Seafood Deficiency is Harming Americans Hearts and Brains

Most people don’t know that:

• Low seafood consumption is the second-biggest dietary contributor to preventable deaths in the U.S., taking 84,000 lives each year (for perspective, low intake of fruits and vegetables takes 58,000 lives each year)
• Currently Americans eat only 15 lbs. of seafood each year, compared to 110 pounds of red meat and 73 pounds of poultry
• The North American diet contains the second-lowest percentage of fish in the world (7.0%) while the 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend 20% of the protein we eat should be seafood.
• On any given day, only one-quarter of Americans report consuming any fish-based omega-3s (DHA and EPA)

Seafood Deficiency in the American Diet You Tube Video

Its Time to Eliminate One of the Top Nutrition Problems in the U.S.

Americans are ready to catch up to the rest of the world. Consumer focus groups conducted by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) showed that an important segment of consumers crave seafood and want to eat more. The research further revealed that confidence in eating seafood at home is a catalyst for eating more seafood at restaurants. As one increases, so will the other.

Most Americans agree that eating more seafood is good for their health; however, habitual eating behavior and lack of knowledge about how to buy, prepare and eat seafood hold consumers back from eating more. Therein lies the mission of our foundation: Reduce seafood deficiency in the American diet by creating awareness about confident seafood buyers, cookers, and eaters through education, awareness and inspiration.

Today, we have the perfect storm of health concerns, heightened interest in and access to food information, and the imprimatur of USDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to reintroduce seafood to American families. This is our best opportunity ever to eliminate one of the top nutritional problems in the American diet.

Bringing Public Health Partners Together to Form a Non-Profit Foundation

A seafood foundation is being formed as an independent 501(c)(3) foundation of partners with a passion for preventing major causes of death like heart disease, boosting the health of groups like women and children, and sustaining the seafood industry all through inspiring Americans to eat more seafood more often. An estimated budget of $25 million dollars over five years is needed to reach Americans when and where they are thinking about food: the Internet, mobile technology, point of sale, and through earned media.

Getting a Foundation Off the Ground: It Starts with the Seafood Industry

In addition to identifying potential philanthropic partners, the seafood foundation is actively raising seed money to launch the organization.

The long term viability and success of this foundation requires the seafood foundation to identify and partner with philanthropic interests that share our belief that American families are missing out on easy, delicious and healthful food when they dont add more seafood to their diets.

However, we cannot develop these partnerships without an
initial investment or seed money from the seafood industry

Its really as simple as this: if the seafood industry doesnt take the lead and kick off this initiative, why will anyone else? The seafood industry is looked to as the natural leader and voice to initiate this transformation in Americans diets because we believe in the nutritional power of seafood and proudly bring it to American families every day as a result.

Our fundraising goal: $500,000 foundation start-up budget

Today we are 87% of the way to this goal. Will you join our effort? Contact Linda Cornish at lcornish@seafoodfoundation.org to make a seed money gift. The following companies have contributed generously to the seed money initiative to date:

• AGR Partners
• Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers
• American Pride Seafoods, LLC
• Bumble Bee Foods, LLC
• Censea, Inc.
• Chicken of the Sea International
• Clear Springs Food
• Darden
• Eastern Fish Company
• Fortune Fish Company
• Global Aquaculture Alliance
• Gortons, Inc.
• Harbor Seafood, Inc.
• High Liner Foods
• Ipswich Shellfish Company
• Mazzetta Company

• Morey’s Seafood
• Motavatit Seafoods
• National Fisheries Institute
• Orca Bay Seafoods
• Pacific Andes
• Preferred Freezer Services
• ProFish International, Inc
• Rich Products Corporation
• Sea Port Products Corporation
• Seabreeze Seafood International
• Seafood Exchange of Florida
• Seattle Fish
• Slade Gorton & Comapny, Inc.
• Tampa Maid Foods, Inc.
• Trident Seafoods Corporation