USEFUL INFORMATION

Tips & Tricks

To defrost, take the frozen fish package out of the freezer overnight and place it in the designated refrigerator shelf to thaw it gradually. If there is no time for this process and you want to consume immediately, you should immerse the package in cold water.

Frozen fish, if thawed, should be consumed immediately and should not be placed back in the freezer.

Frozen seafood should be kept in the freezer until the expiry date indicated on the package. 

They must be kept at -18ο c or even lower.

  • Its box or bag must be properly closed and sealed.

  • If a package is torn or damaged, we pick up another package that is intact and inform the store manager.

  • The packaging of the frozen seafood must also indicate the expiry date and the place of origin (a FAO – FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS – fishing zone or fishing ground). These indications tell us until when to consume the catch and the geographical area where it was caught.

  • Ice crumbs (or snow as is often called) accumulated inside the package indicates that the frozen product has been subjected to temperature fluctuations during storage or transport and is likely to be damaged. In this case, choose another packaging and inform the store manager.

  • When selecting frozen seafood, you should always make sure that it has the right shape. You should avoid buying fish or other seafood that come as shapeless mass, or has been broken or cracked. This indicates that the fish has been thawed and refrozen, which is very likely to have led to a deterioration in quality and also spoilage.

  • The appearance and colour of the catch are also two very important things to look out for. The catch must be of normal colour, without any discolouration (e.g., yellow hues on the flesh of the fish due to oxidation, black spots on crustaceans due to melanisation) or freezer burn (white spots or very dehydrated parts) and without any unpleasant odours.

Must-knows

The shield against oxidation and dehydration

Glazing is a practice widely used in the frozen fish industry and consists of forming a thin layer of ice (coating) on the surface of the frozen fish at a specific stage of the production process in order to protect it from oxidation and dehydration.

Ice glazing is a protective shield against the oxidation of fats and the dehydration of the frozen catch’s tissues, as it prevents the catch from coming into contact with the air (oxygen) that is present even inside packaging bags.

The Mediterranean diet, a model for maintaining health, includes, among other things, fish.

Frozen fish have a high content of:

Proteins

Vitamins (A, D, B12)

Omega-3 fatty acids

Metals & Trace Elements (Potassium, Zinc, Iron, Phosphorus, Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium)

While they still have:

Low fats

Low saturated fats

Fish contain proteins of high biological value such as collagen, which belongs to the structural protein class. It is one of the most abundant animal proteins and is the main component of skin, tendons and bones.

An important nutrient in all fish and perhaps the most beneficial for human health is fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids belong to the category of essential fatty acids.

Fatty acids contribute to the structure of cell membranes, the grey matter of the brain, the development of the retina and the synthesis of specific substances such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes.

Vitamin A, retinol, which initially contributes to bone lengthening, allows the retina to adapt to half-light through the synthesis of a special retinol complex, rhodopsin. It also contributes to the satisfactory functioning of the immune system and is a valuable vitamin in cell differentiation. Its most important contribution to the human body is the proper and, at the same time, healthy skin development.

In addition to retinol, fish also contain vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for regulating calcium levels in the blood serum. They contribute to the metabolism of calcium in the bones (osteoblasts) and also to the absorption of calcium in the small intestine.

Vitamin B3 is an important element of intermediate metabolism and contributes to the synthesis of fatty acids. Apart from fish, foods that are rich in vitamin B3 are liver, meat and cereals.

Calcium contributes to the development of the skeleton and the creation of maximum bone density, the expansion and contraction of blood vessels and muscles, as well as the transmission of nerve impulses.

Considerable amounts of potassium K are contained in the edible part of fish, which contribute to the active transport of components within the cell and to the generation and transfer of electrical signals to nerves and muscles.

Iodine I is essential for the development of the nervous system and the protection of the human body from goitre.

Another nutrient is magnesium Mg, which plays an important role in the function of enzymes, contributes to the development of the skeleton and the maintenance of the electrical membrane potential of muscles and nerves, participates in the metabolism of potassium, calcium and vitamin D and protects against symptoms of nervous dysfunction and muscle weakness.

Zinc Zn is a component of most tissues in the body as it is an element of enzymes; it is involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids.

Finally, fish contain significant amounts of phosphorus P, which is a structural component of cell membranes and part of the genetic material and participates in the metabolic processes of the human body, as well as in the maintenance of acid-base balance.