Great moments in government dietary advice

by Walter Olson on June 27, 2012

Learn to eat lionfish, advised officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a recent publicity campaign: not only is it tasty, but you’ll be combating an exotic-species invasion that is endangering reefs. Oops! “Of 194 fish tested, 42 percent showed detectable levels of ciguatoxin and 26 percent were above the FDA’s illness threshold of 0.1 parts per billion.” [MSNBC] Ciguatoxin, common in reef predators, is a naturally occurring toxin that can cause neurological disorientation and a variety of other nasty effects.

{ 6 comments }

1 Reformed Republican 06.27.12 at 3:35 pm

This is why you should only take dietary advice from a licensed nutritionist.

2 Swift 06.28.12 at 10:43 am

What is the point of this little report? To point out that government sometimes makes mistakes despite basically acting in good faith?

Or, to put it another way, does the free market decide what is *good* and *correct* advice? last i checked, both mcdonalds and the creation science museum are doing just fine, financially, if that’s any indication.

3 Jesse Spurway 06.29.12 at 1:41 pm

I suspect that where I work all the new managers are given a party where lubberwort is served.
Perhaps lionfish meatloaf.

4 TJIC 06.29.12 at 4:35 pm

@Swift

> What is the point of this little report? To point out that government sometimes makes mistakes despite basically acting in good faith?

Where is your evidence that government acts in good faith?

5 Zena 06.30.12 at 3:45 am

@ReformedRepublicab do you mean dietician? Don’t know about in America, but in the uk nutritionist is not a protected title, anyone can claim to be one, whereas duetivians have medical qualifications nutritionist is to dietician as toothologist is to dentist!! Licenses or qualifications issued by other scam artists nutritionists are worthless. No indication of medical training.

6 Zena 06.30.12 at 3:46 am

Sorry, massive autocorrect fail in that last reply, it’s early here and I haven’t had my coffee yet! You can work out what I meant ;)

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