Canned fish has a reputation for its low prices and long shelf life that one usually can’t find in fresh fish; however, does it hold its own against its fresh counterparts in terms of nutrition? The answer is yes.
Many people may feel skeptical about canned fish for many reasons; they might believe that low prices correlate with low quality, or that its taste doesn’t compare to that of fresh fish, or that canned fish has a higher sodium content compared to fresh fish. This is because canned containers seal in the natural saltiness of fish. Despite this, the canning process packages fish in a way that offers numerous nutritional benefits that one usually doesn’t find in freshly-caught fish. A look at the various aspects of the canning process helps us see how and why.
Types of fish caught
Fish used for canning are usually caught in the wild, not farmed. Although both types are almost always safe for the public to eat, a study shows that farmed fish contain 10 times more pollutants than the wild-caught variant.
Size of fish caught
Canned fish factories usually package small fish which fit more easily into the canned containers; these contain exponentially less mercury than larger fish. This happens because large fish tend to eat many smaller fish and accumulate mercury in their bloodstream throughout their lifetime. For perspective, canned salmon contains about four micrograms of mercury while the hardy swordfish has 170 micrograms in the same six-ounce serving.
Fish processing
All fish are packed into containers whole without being skinned or deboned. Consequently, the cooking process softens the bones well enough to make them edible, which in turn makes them a great source of calcium. Because they are packaged whole, canned fish also provides a healthy amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Even if it doesn’t provide the same taste that fresh fish has, the automated canning process does much to compensate for its tasty, albeit different, fish products. The canning process saves a tremendous amount of money because it can be done on a large-scale production and doesn’t require the need for the fish to be preserved as carefully as fresh fish do. Moreover, one can tell by looking at the nutritional value of canned fish that saving money doesn’t always mean sacrificing quality.
Image Source: Judd Pilossof
With its long expiration date and omega-3-rich content, canned fish will always serve as a versatile and healthy choice for whenever fresh fish is not an option, and there’s nothing fishy about that.
Feature Image Source: Salmon by Ján Sokoly
