Contents
Myth № 1: Pollock is a cheap fish that is only suitable for cat food.
According to experts, pollock is not inferior to other fish species with white muscle tissue in terms of useful qualities. This fish is rich in protein, which includes a full complement of essential amino acids. But there is little fat in it, but it has a high content of omega-3 unsaturated acids.
100 g of pollock contains about 16 g of complete protein (about 30% of the recommended daily allowance), which includes a set of amino acids required in the diet. Pollock contains little fat (0,9 g / 100 g) with a high content of omega-3 unsaturated acids (500-600 mg / 100 g), which play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Myth # 2: Pollock fillets contain more ice than fish.
According to the technical regulation “On the safety of fish and fish products”, the mass fraction of glaze should not exceed 5% of the total mass of the product. In the research of Roskachestvo, the products of 13 brands comply with this standard, and only two do not. However, in this indicator it is necessary to take into account important detail: the actual net weight of pollock should correspond to the declared weight of frozen fish fillets after removing the glaze. In the event that the net weight of fish fillets (without ice glaze) is lower than the net weight stated on the package, the buyer pays for water and receives less fish than he expects. However, in the course of the study, experts confirmed that the net weight declared on the package in these two brands corresponds to the actual weight, therefore, the consumer is not overweight and receives as much fish as he paid for.
Important. Most buyers do not consider what exactly a thick crust of ice performs essential functions. Covering fish fillets, it protects the product from dehydration and fat oxidation.
There is one more nuance – even if the net weight corresponds to the declared one, but, in the buyer’s opinion, there is too much glaze, then the defrosting of the fish, other things being equal, is slower. However, this does not affect the consumer properties of the product, so the rating points in this case did not decrease.
Myth number 3: pollock fillets are repeatedly frozen and thawed.
The experts also checked if the fish had been defrosted during transportation. This is important, since when re-freezing the fish will be drier, and if we take into account that the pollock meat is lean, then the consumer, when he defrosts the pollock, will have to deal with tough, not juicy products with a poor consistency.
According to official requirements, deep dehydration should not exceed 10% of the mass or surface area of the product. Thus, according to the results of the study, the products of 13 brands meet the increased requirements.
Myth # 4: Pollock meat cannot be juicy.
The juiciness of fish is characterized by an indicator of “water-holding capacity” which characterizes the quality of muscle tissue. The fresher the raw material, and to a lesser extent it has been subjected to changes (being at an elevated temperature before processing, temperature fluctuations, freezing-thawing or freezing), the higher the water-holding capacity will be. This indicator is determined by the release of water from the sample by pressing. In the case of protein denaturation under the influence of unfavorable factors, moisture is lost to a greater extent and the final product will have a dry and hard consistency. The finished product yield will decrease.
According to the increased requirements of Roskachestvo, the water-holding capacity must be at least 50%, and the products of the following brands met these requirements: Pinball (52%); Polar (52%); “VkusVill” (51%); “Atlantic” (56%); “Cove of Plenty” (53%); Okeanrybflot (53%); Sakhalin Fish (52%); «Flanderr» (55%).
Myth # 5: stores sell stale fillets.
To understand whether pollock is fresh or not, Roskachestvo checked pollock fillets in terms of the mass fraction of nitrogen in volatile bases. According to TR EAEU 040/2016, the mass fraction of nitrogen should be no more than 35 mg per 100 g. The inspection of Roskachestvo showed that all products meet the requirements, which means that all the fish studied were fresh.