With fishing restrictions in the Caspian Sea limiting the amount of sturgeon caviar available, paddlefish caviar production has grown in the past few years. The dark gray eggs of the paddlefish are prized for their mild flavor and the paddlefish are native here in the U.S. But could there be risks to paddlefish consumption? Health officials are worried that the eggs from the paddlefish, which swim in the American lakes and rivers, may contain dangerous toxins including mercury, chlordane and cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The paddlefish, also known as the spoonbill, gets its nutrients from swimming with its mouth open and collecting plankton. This method leaves them vulnerable to the pollutants in the water. Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee have warned consumers to limit their consumption of paddlefish caviar from portions of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers. But right now the average consumer may not be aware of the risk or may not know what river their paddlefish caviar came from since it is generally not listed on the label. Advocates of the caviar say the levels of toxins are far below FDA advisory levels and not really a concern, especially since most people don't eat caviar in large portions. Others say that with PCBs and other potential carcinogens there really are no safe levels and to steer clear.
