Environmental Working Group (EWG) : In Their Own Words

What They Tell You About:

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Compass Since its founding in 1993, the Environmental Working Group has worked to facilitate public warning campaigns across a variety of health and science fields. The group has often worked in conjunction with the specialized environmental public relations firm Fenton Communications, and routinely makes health claims about purportedly great dangers in ordinary products ranging from apples to baby food to lipstick and sunscreen. EWG was independently established as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization in Washington, D.C. in 1999.

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What They're Not Telling You

EWG has conceded publicly that it has no medical experts or scientists on staff and yet routinely provides messages about seafood totally at odds with established recommendations from medical institutions and the federal government.

Despite their lack of expertise, EWG even attacks authoritative federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about eating fish during pregnancy insisting that "FDA urges pregnant women to consume more mercury-laced seafood."

The Tough Questions:
How does EWG justify giving public health advice, when it apparently has no expertise to support their guidance? Is it responsible or trustworthy for them to suggest the FDA is endangering pregnant women?