What are the
advantages of frozen seafood over fresh?
Consumers should base their seafood purchases on quality. Frozen
seafood can be superior in quality to fresh products at the wet
markets. Frozen seafood are freezed within hours of harvest. It
might take several days for the same seafood to make it to your
seafood dealer at the wet market.
Frozen seafoods are less prone to deterioration because of the
shorter time between harvesting and freezing, in contrast with
"fresh" seafood sold at wet markets.
|
Frozen |
Fresh |
| Time from pond to market |
3.5 hours |
1 day |
| Number of persons
involved in handling |
Pond to
factory: |
Pond to market: |
| Farmer ->
Broker -> Factory -> Exporter |
Farmer ->
Broker -> Wholesaler -> Retailer -> Sub-retailer
-> Consumer |
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What are the
nutrients from seafoods?
- Seafood offers large quantities of protein and significant
amounts of vitamins and minerals without high levels of
saturated fats and calories.
- Seafood is an excellent source of complete protein, providing
all the essential amino acids. The protein in seafood is easily
digestible, making it a perfect nutrition source for people of
all ages.
- Seafood is a good source of B vitamins and provides such key
minerals and trace elements as calcium, magnesium, potassium,
phosphorus, sulfur, florine, selenium, copper, zinc and iodine.
All these elements are necessary for proper development and
growth.
- Seafood contains a very small amount of fat. Most varieties of
fish and shellfish contain less than 5 percent fat. Even
high-fat fish generally have less than 15 percent fat, which is
considerably lower than red meat. Seafood is also lower in
saturated fat than most other protein sources. By substituting
fish meals for some meat meals, you can considerably lower your
total fat and saturated fat intake.
- Seafood is generally low in sodium.
- Cholesterol levels are not significant in most seafood
products. Finfish are generally quite low in cholesterol, with
shellfish having low to moderate amounts. Even species with
higher cholesterol levels, such as squid, contain less
cholesterol than eggs, and are well within the 300 mg daily
limit recommended by leading health organizations.
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What are the
benefits of a seafood rich diet?
- It reduces the risk of heart disease
- It may prolong life after a heart attack
- It lowers blood triglycerides (fats)
- It may improve heart function and reduce damage from heart
disease
- It can lower blood pressure
- It may improve symptoms of inflammatory diseases, arthritis
and psoriasis
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Why is Omega-3
fat good for us?
Although fish and shellfish are generally low in fat, the small
amount of fat they do contain is beneficial. Found almost
exclusively in seafood, Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish may play
a protective role against heart disease. Omega-3's help keep
arteries open by discouraging the build-up of plaque in blood
vessels, studies are showing. Preliminary research indicates that
Omega-3's can prevent platelets -- cell fragments that help blood to
clot -- from sticking together. The result: reduced chance for heart
attack or stroke due to blockage in an artery. Omega-3's also are
linked to anti-inflammatory effects; early studies indicate that
reduced inflamation is more dramatic in the elderly than in younger
individuals.
Oilier fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, contain
higher amounts of this "quality fat," but even the
lowest-fat fish contain small amounts of these healthy oils.
A medically-supervised study among people who had suffered a heart
attack revealed that those who ate about 10 ounces of fat-rich fish
per week lived longer than those who did not. Earlier studies have
indicated that eating fish two or three times a week and maintaining
a low-fat diet extends life.
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How can one
know whether the seafood is fresh or of good quality when selecting?
Follow these guidelines when buying seafood, whether it's whole,
processed, or frozen. Always purchase seafood from establishments
that maintain these high quality standards.
Fresh - Whole or Dressed
- Appearance is bright and shiny.
- Scales are bright, most of them intact and adhering closely to
the skin.
- Eyes are bright, clear, and full and often protrude.
- Gills are red - and indicatory that oxygen is present and the
fish is very fresh. Gill color fades with time to light pink,
then gray, and finally to greenish or dull brown.
- Fish odor is fresh and mild, not "fishy".
- The flesh is firm and elastic, not separating from the bones.
Fresh Processed
- Odor is fresh and mild.
- Flesh is moist, firm, and elastic and has a fresh-cut
appearance without traces of browning or drying around the
edges.
- Pre-packaged steaks and fillets are in tightly wrapped
packages, with little or no air space between fish and wrapping
material and no liquid in the package.
Frozen
- Flesh is solid and there is no discoloration or freezer burn
on the surface.
- Odor is fresh and mild, not "fishy".
- Wrapping material is moisture and vapor proof, fits closely
around the product, and is undamaged.
- Package does not contain ice crystals, or have water stains or
other indicators that the product may have been previously
thawed.
- Packaged frozen seafood may have an expiration date stamped on
the label - always use the seafood before the expiration date.
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How do I
convert between ounces, kilograms and pounds? and vice versa?
| 1 pound(lb) |
= 0.4536
kilogram(kg) |
= 16 ounces(oz.) |
| 1 kilogram(kg) |
= 1,000 grams(g) |
= 2.2046
pounds(lbs.) |
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Sources:
Seafood for the Good Life...A Basic Introduction to Seafood
Nutrition, National Fisheries Education and Research Foundation
The California Seafood Council
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