Resources, Reports, and Technical Information

The Fish Consumption Guidance (FCG) program at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), working alongside other state agencies, reviews scientific information and contaminant data for Minnesota waterbodies regularly and issues updated guidance as necessary. The most studied contaminants in Minnesota fish include mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Through Minnesota’s Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program (FCMP), MDH works in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to select lakes and rivers for fish collection and analyses. 

This page includes technical information related to how the FCG program develops guidance. MDH develops guidelines considering information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Great Lakes Consortium for Fish Consumption Advisories protocols. Guidelines help consumers minimize their exposure to contaminants in fish while maximizing the health benefits of eating fish.

Fish Consumption Guidelines are made using fish contaminant data and public health methods

• Mercury guidelines
  • A Protocol for Mercury-based Fish Consumption Advice (PDF): An Addendum to the 1993 "Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory" (sensitive populations)
  • EPA-FDA Advice about Eating Fish and Shellfish provides U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data on mercury is used to determine guidelines for purchased fish.
• PCBs guidelines
  • Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF)
• PFAS guidelines
  • Best Practice for Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) Guidelines (2019) (general populations)
• Categories for Fish Consumptions Guidelines (PDF): Serving size and frequency for fish consumption guidelines based on fish contaminant concentrations 

Contact health.fish@state.mn.us for questions or if you would like more information about how guidance is developed.