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THE sea products they are very healthy foods capable of bringing numerous benefits to the body, which is why experts recommend bringing them to the table at least 2-3 times a week. Provided that certain rules of hygiene and behavior are respected in order to be able to make informed choices suited to one’s state. In Italy and Europe, we read in the Poster “Fish. Conscious consumption, nutritional benefits”Drawn up by the Ministry of Health, there is a guarantee system of food safety effective and widespread throughout the production chain, which minimizes chemical, physical and microbiological risks. However, due to their characteristics some fish products are less suitable to specific categories of consumers or must be consumed by adopting particular precautions.
Nutritional properties
First of all, like meat and eggs, fishery products are part of the food group it provides high biological value proteins. In fact, they contain about 15-20%. Proteins that are more digestible due to the lower amount of connective tissue compared to mammalian meat.
Also excellent is the presence of mineral salts present as calcium, phosphorus and iodine.
We also find good amounts of vitamin A, vitamins of group B and vitamin D.
Their phospholipids e unsaturated fats at a high concentration of Omega 3 they are also important for their beneficial effects on the heart. Their percentage varies between the different species from 0.5% to 27% according to age and biological cycle. According to the fat content, fishery products are divided into:
- Fat (> 8%): eels, herring, mackerel, salmon, tuna
- Semimagri (3-8%): mullet, sardines, whitefish, mullet, carp, sturgeon, swordfish, sea bream
- thin (<3%): Anchovies, lobsters, squid, mussels, shrimps, cod, hake, octopus, cuttlefish, sole, sea bass, clams.
Fish and seafood: beware of parasites
Fish and seafood may contain organic mercury (methylmercury), naturally present in the environment or as a consequence of pollution. The large predatory fish
due to their biological characteristics they accumulate some higher levels through the food chain. For this reason, for children, women of childbearing age, in pregnancy and breastfeeding, a maximum portion of 100 grams per week of swordfish, sharaloids and pike is recommended and no more than 2 portions of tuna. If you choose large predatory fish – the experts of the Ministry of Health recommend – it is good not to consume other fish in the same week.
Fish and cephalopods can also be naturally infested with parasites. Some, like the Anisakis in sea fish or the Opistorchis in freshwater fish, they are also pathogenic to humans.
It is therefore important:
- eviscerate quickly catch
- in the case of domestic consumption of raw, undercooked or marinated fish or cephalopods, freeze the product for at least 96 hours, equal to 4 days, in the home freezer that has three stars (***) or more.
The smoked fish packaged, finally, may accidentally exceed the safety limit for the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. This food is therefore not recommended for pregnant women or for immunosuppressed people.
Molluscs: only well cooked
Animals belong to this category invertebrates which stand out for the seashell, which can be external and unique as in gastropods (e.g. snail), external and divided into two valves as in bivalve molluscs (e.g. mussels, clams, scallops …) or internal as in cephalopod molluscs (eg. octopuses, cuttlefish, squid …). The bivalve molluscs are filter organisms which for this characteristic can concentrate bacteria and viruses present in the waters. Remember that only thorough cooking can minimize microbiological risks.
Crustaceans: remove the brown-greenish part
Crabs, scampi, lobsters, shrimp they are part of the crustacean family. It is good to know that crabs, especially large ones, accumulate cadmium in the digestive organs, an element present in the environment both for natural causes and as a consequence of industrial or agricultural processes. The main source of exposure for the general population, with the exception of smokers, is the food route. It is therefore recommended to eliminate those parts with a greenish-brown appearance contained in the thorax of crabs. The white meat of the appendages can be eaten in complete safety.
In conclusion, fish products are gods great foods to be consumed regularly as part of a varied diet. However, it is important to follow some simple rules that can avoid dangers.
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