How Fresh Is That Fish You Are Eating?
Tue, Jun 8, 2010
Author: Andrew Gruel (4 Articles)
Andrew Gruel manages Seafood for the Future, a non-profit seafood advisory and promotional program based at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Southern California. Andrew holds a degree in Food Marketing and Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.
I was 11 when I first found out the characters at Disney World weren’t real. I was waiting with my father in line for “Breakfast with Mickey” and standing behind a dumpster I saw Goofy with his head removed. Protruding from his neck was what looked like Borat’s vagabond twin smoking a filterless Camel. I was devastated, and my trips to Disney World, Magic Mountain, Bush Garden’s, and Wally World would never be the same. I experienced this same thing when working my first kitchen job. I recalled eating at the same luxury hotel 3 years earlier and everything seemed so clean and so perfect. Little did I know that behind those double doors was the bloated underbelly of a kitchen full of fly-traps, dirty grease traps and 5-day-old hairnets. So for those of you who want to keep thinking Santa Clause is real, do not proceed.
What is fresh seafood?
The coast of California is one huge restaurant advertisement boasting fresh and local seafood at every stop. But what does fresh and local really mean? Considering over two-thirds of the seafood consumed in the US is imported and typically frozen, one has to wonder.
Imported Seafood Consumption
Does fresh mean it has never been frozen? Does it mean high quality? Does it mean that it was swimming in the water just yesterday? Do people think that piece of fresh seafood they are eating really came from local waters? How much of the seafood eaten in any coastal community really comes from their local waters? Based on the vagueness of the term “fresh”, much is up for interpretation, and if you read “We are a country addicted to farmed fish”, like it or not, it is apparent that broad perceptions can be very misleading.
Fresh vs. frozen seafood
I am going to come right out with the truth: much of the seafood that is sold in markets and restaurants has been previously frozen, and in many cases is sold as fresh. While this is unethical and misleading, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the seafood is any less “fresh”. Similar to the misguided and incorrect notion that farmed seafood is bad, people assume frozen seafood is inferior. On the contrary, however, in most cases frozen seafood is actually fresher then never-frozen seafood.
The engineering of contemporary on-board freezing technologies has fish flash-frozen within hours of capture. The freezing is so cold and happens so quick that detrimental ice crystals never form, thus maintaining the integrity of the flesh. The fish feels, looks and tastes like it is just out of the water. Compare this scenario to a piece of fish that has been caught, landed, and shipped from processor to wholesaler for up to 10 days before it is either frozen or sold. Which piece of fish will taste fresher, look fresher, or feel fresher? In addition it is important to note that according to the FDA, freezing may kill some microorganisms found in seafood.
Farmed seafood vs. wild seafood
When the commercial fishing season begins all the boats race into the sea in order to catch their quota, regardless of demand, recessions, or fluctuations in the consumer price index (this is changing, however, check out this article New England’s new catch share system ). Many times this seafood sits on the boat for a few days before it is landed on a dock. At this point it is either auctioned or sold, distributed to a processor, then peddled to a seafood buyer. If the demand is lethargic or the price isn’t right, the seafood waits, and decomposes, accumulating concentrations of histamines which can ultimately lead to scrombroid poisoning As a result, much of the wild seafood caught is eventually frozen.
Take, on the other hand, a fish farm that can control its supply and demand. If there isn’t a demand for their salmon or barramundi or catfish, the fish can remain fresh-swimming. Once that demand arises and the sale is made, the distribution mechanism begins and that fish can be on a restaurant’s table in a few days. In terms of wild seafood, an article written in the Chicago tribune quoted a NOAA inspector as saying “It’s not uncommon to see a fish caught in Alaska … flash frozen on either a ship or a frozen processor offshore, placed in a tramper vessel, uploaded, taken on to China, placed in cold storage, and that product may go on to be further processed by a Chinese firm or American firm in China, and there’s a chance that the product could go on to Europe or on to the United States,” And as for the seafood that is not exported, much of it sits in an unrefrigerated fish hold until after the fishing opening and then is cleaned days later by a processor boat.
Red tuna
How about that piece of bright red tuna, sliced perfectly over a conventional ahi tuna noodle salad? Sold at $11 it seems like a real bargain. Most likely it has been treated with carbon monoxide. The practice of lacing tuna with carbon monoxide is not legal in America according to the FDA, but considering most tuna is processed in Asia, the fish is typically imported already treated with the chemical. There are no laws in Asia which prohibit the use of carbon monoxide to treat fish. The practice has been used for years to fortify otherwise “brown” pieces of tuna with a deep red color. Now go ahead and ask your man-on-the-street what fresh tuna looks like and they will most likely respond “deep red”. In reality the natural color of yellowfin or ahi tuna is more of an off red chocolate tint.
The Hope Part
While the seafood world can be deceiving, there is a shining light at the end of this tunnel of dismay. First and foremost, never make broad statements in an industry that is fickle, fragile, detailed, and bloated with polarized opinion. Next, by following a few simple tips, you can guarantee the fish that you buy will be fresh and Santa Clause will stay real a bit longer.
Well-managed fresh seafood is all about knowledge and dialogue. The following tips will not just encourage a conversation that reduces the risk of eating the “wrong” piece of fish, but it will lead to further awareness regarding questions of sustainability. But before you can trust your favorite chef about whether that fish is fresh and sustainable, make sure you both agree on what that really means. And avoid the reliance on generalities such as “frozen is bad” or “wild is always better”.
Tips:
Buy fish whole. They always say the eyes are the windows to the soul. In the case of seafood they are the window into flavor country. If you look into the eyes of a freshly caught fish, and you don’t see clear pupils staring back at you, it’s not a match. The murkier the eyes the older the fish. In addition, a whole fish will allow you to look at the gills which should be bright red, not brown or umber.
Farmed seafood is a safe bet. Each species of farmed seafood tells a different story, but based on the fact that the seafood can be harvested according to demand, the product has a much better chance of reaching your plate sooner after harvest or at least with less outside stops. It is important to note the region, however, because the longer the supply chain the more chance their is for inconsistencies. For example, if you live on the west coast, farmed salmon from British Columbia is a better choice than Norway or Scotland.
Avoid tuna that has been treated with tasteless smoke. With the exception of American Albacore, avoid most tuna altogether actually. It is being overfished. Certainly avoid tuna that looks too cheap to be true, or any that is vacuum packed and cherry red, which most likely has been carbon monoxide-treated.
Buy frozen, but keep these specifics in mind: Look for products that have been flash frozen. These fish went quickly from the sea to the freezer. Just be sure to check the expiration date – the taste and quality will slowly diminish, even in the freezer. Look for fish that is labeled frozen at sea. If you are going to buy fish that is labeled as “previously frozen” just buy the frozen version and thaw it yourself, you never know how long it has been thawed. Your best bet is to buy fish frozen in vacuum-sealed packs
Tags: Andrew Gruel
Yet another great article looking to correct so much of the misinformation about the seafood we eat & filled with some really useful tips for the seafood consumer!
The University of California California Sea Grant Extension program agrees re: fresh v frozen. Check it out http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/quality.htm
Excellent article on the unforeseen pitfalls in our Seafood supply chain. Conventional wisdom proven wrong – what you think you know, you don’t know. Good lessons to learn when selecting seafood.
Andrew, this is a great article. I knew from your previous writing to avoid generalizing about farmed vs. wild, etc. But you really break it down here, and the five concrete tips are key.
Andrew,
Thanks for this article…I had no idea flash frozen is actually fresher than the ‘fresh’ stuff we see at the fish counter.
You definitely taught me something. I had no idea frozen seafood was the way to go.
Great article. I’m looking forward to many more.
(0f course.)
Great article, however, doesn’t eating farmed vs. wild fish pose a nutritional problem? Are farmed fish being fed unnatural diets of corn based products just like factory farmed cattle and chicken in the USA? Additionally, do we know the consequences of raising fish in an unnatural habitat? If the diet is unnatural it will surely negatively change the ratio of omega 3 to omega6s/9s which has already occurred with corn fed cattle and chickens. This effect might not be seen in the short run but in the long run the decrease in omega 3s will only contribute to America’s increase in disease.
Farmed vs. wild is not a nutritional problem; it is an information problem.
What is an unnatural diet? Fish in the wild eat other fish if they are carnivores and plant materials if they are herbivores. Farming, by its very nature, is not ‘natural’ because it means removing the existing natural vegetation and replacing that with unnatural cultivated domestic vegetation. Farming is in fact the largest environmental impact activity undertaken by the human species. However, without farming, none of us would be here this afternoon to have this discussion because we would never have been born. In a world without farming, the human population would be significantly smaller and in poorer health, than it is today and civilization and all that it brings to our lives would not have developed. Farming is what gave humans the time to develop civilization because of the surpluses it created. Hunting and gathering activities would never have provided the stability for civilization to happen.
But to comment on your comment, the aquaculture industry began to incorporate plant materials in fish feeds because research showed that fish could grow and mature on diets not 100% fishmeal and fish oil based. It was also done in response to critics that said feeding fish to fish was ‘unsustainable’ even though this has been going on since the dawn of life in the sea.
The wonderful thing about animals is that they do not read all the propaganda we humans produce so they continue to eat, grow, reproduce, and get eaten by us or other predators, whether in the wild or in the farm.
Frozen at sea is now my clear choice. It may be more difficult to pass up the tuna however. Someone needs to start a tuna plantation, farm may not be big enough.
Ray,
You raise good points as these are many of the questions regarding farm raised fish. In terms of Omega 3 fatty acids there is absolutely NO difference in content between farmed salmon and wild salmon. The feed is specially formulated to have high levels of omega 3 fatty acids mainly found in the sardine oil that makes up much of the fish feed that is fed to farmed salmon.
The rest of the feed that is used in farmed salmon is made up of fish meal, vegetable protein, and other nutrients. Fish do not need to eat only other fish, they need to eat a particular nutritional profile that allows them to grow properly and develop the needed nutrients. In most cases farmed salmon is actually healthier than wild. Fish that eat a low quality feed with get sick and not be able to survive.
FDA statistics on the nutritional content (protein and fat-ratios) of farm versus wild salmon show that:
The fat content of farmed salmon is excessively high–30-35% by weight.
Wild salmon have a 20% higher protein content and a 20% lower fat content than farm-raised salmon.
Farm-raised fish contain much higher amounts of pro-inflammatory omega 6 fats than wild fish.
These unfortunate statistics are confirmed in a recent (1988-1990) study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to compare the nutrient profiles of the leading species of wild and cultivated fish and shellfish. Three species of fish that contain beneficial omega 3 fats were included: catfish, rainbow trout, and coho salmon.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=96
The following is from Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research of the Environmental Working Group as of Feb 2010.
“Nearly all salmon Americans eat are farm-raised — grown in dense-packed pens near ocean shores, fed fish meal that can be polluted with toxic PCB chemicals, awash in excrement flushed out to sea and infused with antibiotics to combat unsanitary conditions. Some salmon are raised on farms that use more sustainable methods, but you can’t tell from the packaging.
Eating farmed salmon occasionally is not a great health concern, but risks can add up if you eat salmon often. But the long-term environmental damage caused by the industry is substantial. We recommend wild salmon over farmed whenever possible.”
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/expert.q.a/01/08/salmon.fresh.farmed.jampolis/index.html
In terms of the environmental damage of farmed salmon, I guess it is a matter of personally weighing what you see to be of more concern to the environment. When fishing for wild salmon there is by-catch as well as habitat damges, in addition to the fact that you are depleting a very fragile population of fish that are already on a huge decline. Obviously any farming is going to have a “footprint”, however the assertions that pcb’s are high is scientifically not proven. The fish that goes into feed is the same fish that we eat in the wild so how would the feed for farmed salmon be any higher, and more so why would the feed producers want that?
Keep in mind that this story that is quoted comes from an environmental group, not a scientist or objective agency.
Ray, unfortunately, the Environmental Working Group is not a credible organization; it is one of the NGOs that is responsible for the proliferation of anti-salmon farming/anti-aquaculture propaganda. In fact, the people working for this organization are not interested in visiting aquaculture facilities or learning about industry practices because then they would have to change their rhetoric, which is not in their best interests finacially as their supporters are funding them to conduct the negative information campaign.
Ray,
In the 80’s and 90’s farming salmon was a procedure which was still relatively new, therefore the ability to farm consistently as well as with efficient feed was not there. These numbers are 20 years outdated. Advances are made very quickly now , especially related to feed specifications.
http://www.healthcastle.com/wildsalmon-farmraisedsalmon.shtml
There are tons of studies including more recent ones confirming the contamination and safety issues. I’m not trying to argue here but it seems like anything that becomes big industry in America is all driven by low cost high profits. The corporations who are responsible do not care about nutrition only $$. I will continue to eat wild food as mush as I can because I do not trust anything being farmed.
Farming salmon isn’t big industry in America, that is the problem. It is illegal to farm salmon in the US. Ideally we can begin to farm in the US in a responsible manner and set a new standard for sustainability.
Andrew, this was a great article and I encourage you to do more in this vein.
I would like to point out that it is not illegal to farm salmon in the USA, only in Alaska, where the commercial (salmon) fishing lobby is very powerful, and does not want to have the competition. Salmon are farmed commercially in Washington and Maine and could be farmed in other states, except California, which also has a vocal lobby against salmon farming.
While I have your attention, please have a look at the work of Dr Frank Asche in Stavanger, Norway, who recently spoke at the AquaVision Conference, see http://www.seafoodsource.com/newsarticledetail.aspx?id=4294996516 and http://www.aquavision.org/.
Dave,
You are correct, I misspoke. I guess I should have put illegal in quotes as in “illegal based on consumer perception”. The reason there isn’t a larger industry for salmon farming in the US is because there is such a negative perception regarding salmon farms, therefore the regulatory framework hasn’t been set up to make this industry a viable one. This is an obvious extension of the public’s misguided perception regarding the industry. Having just returned from British Columbia where the farms work closely with the government to develop a system that is incredibly advanced and yes “sustainable”, I wish for the US to follow suit.
Andrew, you are correct when you say that, “The reason there isn’t a larger industry for salmon farming in the US is because there is such a negative perception regarding salmon farms, therefore the regulatory framework hasn’t been set up to make this industry a viable one.”
The vocal minority in the USA that is opposed to salmon farming in particular, and aquaculture in general, have been very effective in spreading the negative perceptions and convincing most of the public that it is a bad thing, which is really unfortunate.
It is a good thing that agriculture (land farming) was not subjected to such negative media manipulation when it was getting started or we would be out foraging for nuts and berries today.
Some excellent sources of info on the US aquaculture industry include:
http://aquaculture.noaa.gov/welcome.html
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=AQUACULTURE&parentnav=AGRICULTURE&navtype=RT
http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/aquaculture/
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/aquaculture/
Cheers,
Dave
I like this article.
Just like buying milk, meat and poultry from farmers, it is possible to buy wild fish directly from those who harvest it. The Port Clyde fishermen in Maine created a seafood CSA last year that delivered to New York City, and I hope this model will be repeated and expanded in the future. I buy frozen salmon every year from someone in Maryland who has a license to harvest in Alaska, where he spends every summer getting his catch. The fish are immediately frozen, and I am able to order it several times a year (when the fisherman’s sister is coming to Vermont). I know there are a number of such fishermen around the country; I’ve been told about several over the years.
These systems are great and I wish there was more of them. The chain of distribution for seafood is lengthy and ominous. There are many nooks and crannies that information “happens” to get stuck in. If consumers were able to buy directly from the fisherman this would be a huge benefit.
Great article Andrew, thanks for educating us on what’s what in the world of fish. Fresh, like the word “natural”, seems to be able to mean anything these days – freshly frozen, freshly defrosted… who knows! It is sad that these types of claims are still being made, even if they cant be substantiated… all it does is make people more and more skeptical and cynical about statements like this.
Your advice is very helpful thank you.
Andrew, I really enjoy your articles. This is such a deep subject with so many viewpoints (as Ray points out). You are helping to clear the waters for us. Thank you for the good tips. I agree, as with anything, form a relationship with your purveyor and start asking questions.
Thanks Jason. I would love to get your overview of the fresh seafood conversation. Are you able to source local seafood or do you find it hard to keep this consistent? When you are shopping for yourself at the market do you find it difficult to cut through the marketing clutter? Have you found that certain frozen products usually serve better than fresh?
Any insight would be great.
Andrew, great story. I agree that the fishing industry is very complex and any generalization is bound to be wrong sometimes.
I have to disagree about previously frozen fin fish though. Shellfish freezes quite well and most of the shrimp we get in US is indeed previously frozen. But fin fish often suffers from freezing (unless it’s either very fatty and frozen for a short period of time or flash frozen and kept in a super freezer). Most of the fish marketed as “flash frozen” or “frozen at sea” has been sitting in a regular supermarket freezer for months and its texture is not much better than normally frozen fish.
About tuna being treated with CO, I thought it was usually CO2 and lately O2 is becoming more popular. I wasn’t aware of any negative side effects of those two gases. Maguro International that sells fish to some of the most upscale sushi places does that too. But CO might be different and I am guessing low end tuna gets treated with it. Are there any health side effects to eating it or is it just an unpleasant thought?
Here is a post I wrote after last seafood show in Boston. Talking to suppliers about freezing practices and trying a large range of samples cleared many questions for me.
I have also done many of my own freezing experiments. Basically, I still don’t believe that there is such a thing as lean white fish that was previously frozen and stayed palatable. Please let me know if you’ve ever had previously frozen halibut or cod that was decent and where you bought it.
While most consumers are excited about “frozen at sea” label, a lot of that fish was frozen at sea, shipped to China, defrosted, filleted, refrozen, and shipped to US (just like you said). So the labels don’t do much for me
About suggesting people buy their fish whole… a better suggestion might be that they shop at a place that carries whole fish, but ask the fishmonger to fillet it for them. Most home cooks are terrible at scaling, gutting, filleting, etc.
Helen,
Thanks for these comments, these are great! You are correct about the last point you make regarding whole fish. I am certainly going to change my suggestions on that aspect.
From what I have researched there is no health risk associated with gassing the fish. I see it as more of an issue regarding truth and the natural look and feel of the fish. I know that many purveyors are gassing fish that is past prime to make it look fresher, so while the gas might not have a harmful effect, the past prime fish certainly does. Obviously there are many operations that utilize the procedure in a respectable manner, but to be honest my experience has proven this is not always the case.
I agree that fatty fish is the best fish to freeze, and in a perfect world I would say that fresh(lean) fish is always better than frozen, but I feel that the cost of keeping fish fresh for a couple weeks (flavor loss, bacterial development, temperature abuse) outweighs the benefit. For the common consumer who generally assumes fresh is better, I want them to recognize this isn’t always the case. The point you make about temperature abuse is dead on, and probably deserves another post.
That freezing test is great! I am going to post that up on our blog at seafoodforthefuture.org if that is ok with you?
Thanks for the great comments
Andrew,
I see what you mean about using the gassing technology to make bad fish look better. I guess I am spoiled and haven’t run into this at places where I shop. I live in Boston and we are lucky to have a few fabulous fish markets here. This probably also skews my opinion about previously frozen lean white fish. But if I lived in another part of the country, I’d probably just not eat it and buy something like previously frozen salmon, bluefish, sardines, mackerel, etc.
You are welcome to link to my freezing experiments and any other info you find useful. Thanks for asking.
I love that you bring up the topic of price. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. When one store carries halibut for $20 and another for $10, there is often a reason. There is no such thing as a free lunch
In fish classes, people often ask me how do you find fish that’s more affordable. I tell them to eat bluefish ($8/Lb) instead of halibut ($20/Lb).
You wouldn’t happen to know anything about Costco fish buying practices? I was very skeptical when students asked me about them, but I tried them and was very impressed. Night and day compared to Trader Joe’s. The fish I’ve tried there was sold as “not previously frozen,” but who knows. So far, I’ve bought yellowfin tuna, halibut, and steelhead trout. All were good and surprisingly cheap. Don’t remember exact prices, but I think halibut was around $13, which is dirt cheap. Do you have any idea how they can keep it so cheap? Is it the large volume?
Helen,
Interesting you ask about costco. I recently visited a fish farm up in Canada and it turns out this farm, Marine Harvest, supplies costco with a majority of their salmon. Firstly, this particular salmon is amazing, fresh, and sets a new standard for sustainable fish farming, but that is another post for another time. The interesting thing was that when talking about costco with them, it seems that they have a very detailed sourcing policy. They have their own team of scientists that do tests on the seafood to determine nutrient content, contaminants… Knowing this is certainly a breath of fresh air given that many organizations just look at seafood as another commodity and treat its purchase as such, perishable or not. It seems as if their pricing is so low given their bulk buying power. While they have been lambasted by certain NGO’s for serving species on the “red list”, I would still suggest people shop there and only purchase those sustainable species such as Halibut, BC farmed Salmon, Pacific Cod, etc. But from what I have seen/heard their pricing is not a reflection of shady practices, instead their economies of scale.
All in all though, you are completely correct when asserting that low priced should be a red flag for the consumer.
Andrew, Great article and important information. Hope you will continue to educate about the truth about seafood esp in the sustainability area. look forward to future articles. Super job!!
I don’t understand how we can sell fish laced with carbon monoxide to consumers. There should be a warning label.
Also, in addition to avoiding tuna due to overfishing, would you recommend avoiding sea bass?
Great piece!
Sugarplum–
I don’t know much about fish, but I know a bit about chemistry. As Andrew points out above, the gassing shouldn’t be a health problem, but it is a way of making fish look fresher than they are, which is a lack of marketing ethics. Carbon monoxide is dangerous for people if we breath it in, but there’s no reason a fish gassed with it would be dangerous for us. The carbon monoxide wouldn’t “stay in” the fish.
I found your article very helpful. I just wonder about farmed salmon.
Julie,
What exactly do you wonder?
Andrew