FOOD COMMODITIES

1. FOOD COMMODITIES FISH AND SEAFOOD • Important part of diet in many countries. • Can be sea water, fresh water or reared on fish farms where they are held in cages. • PERISHABLE foods. Often caught, processed and preserved (usually frozen) on commercial fishing boats, whilst still at sea. • Fish can be WHITE or OILY fish. WHITE fish has firm white flesh and oil in the liver, i.e. plaice, sole, halibut, cod, coley, haddock, sea bass, whiting, monkfish, hake, hoki, huss, ling, pollock and red snapper. OILY fish has oil in flesh so dark coloured, i.e. anchovy, eel, herring, jackfish, kipper, mackerel, pilchard, salmon, sardine, sprat, swordfish, trout, tuna and whitebait. • Seafood is divided into CRUSTACEANS and MOLLUSCS. CRUSTANCEANS are jointed sea animals with soft bodies covered by a hard ‘crust’, i.e. lobsters, shrimps, prawns, crabs, crayfish and langoustines. MOLLUSCS are soft bodied animals that live inside shells, i.e. cockles, winkles, mussels, scallops, clams and oysters. • Sold and eaten whole or in FILLETS, STEAKS or DARNS.

2. Nutritional Value PROTEIN: High Biological value protein that is easily digested (especially white fish). FAT: unsaturated oils. Oily fish provide Omega 3 and 6, which reduce risk of heart disease and strokes by helping to prevent the development of blood clots. FAT SOLUABLE VITAMINS A and D: good source of these. In white fish, liver oils contain these vitamins and the oil is sold as capsules – Cod Liver Oil. GROUP B VITAMINS: contain some. CALCIUM: important source in bones of fish if eaten. FLOURIDE AND IODINE: sea fish provides useful amounts of these as well as trace elements such as potassium and sodium, but NOT iron. WATER: naturally contain water, sometimes extra water is added by food manufacturers/processors.

3. Buying Fish and Seafood. Make sure FISH is moist but not slimy skin firm flesh is not losing its scales smells fresh and clean has clear, shiny eyes has bright, red gills. Make sure CRUSTACEANS are smell fresh and ‘sweet’ no missing joints or limbs are moist have firm, ‘springy’ flesh (prawns) Make sure MOLLUSCS are tightly shut shells or shut immediately you tap them smell fresh

4. Storing Fish and Seafood. Refrigerate as soon as possible after purchase. Fresh fish sold in a supermarket may have been previously frozen, so don’t refreeze. Freeze fresh fish on day it’s purchased, wrap correctly to protect from freezer burn. Defrost before cooking.

5. Fish There are two main groups of fish, sea fish andfresh water fish. • Most of the fish we eat comes from the sea. Examples are cod, plaice, haddock, snapper and tuna, but there are over thirty varieties that are regularly eaten in the UK. • Some fish, such as cod, are becoming rarer, as too many are caught for food. We need to conserve our fish stocks to allow the fish time to breed. • Fresh water fish come from rivers or lakes. Salmon and trout are the most common. • Salmon and trout are often reared in fish farms. This has made more fish available and reduced the price. • Some people believe farmed fish do not taste as good as wild ones.

6. Oily fish • Some fish store oil in their liver. These are called white fish, and cod is one example. • In other fish, the oil is spread through their body, and these are called oily fish. Salmon, sardines and tuna are examples. • Scientists believe that eating oily fish can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, and they recommend at least one portion per week.

7. Shellfish Shellfish have lots of vitamins and minerals and are low in fat. Examples are: • prawns and shrimps • cockles, mussels, scallops, oysters, whelks and other things that live in shells. Crab and lobster are often thought of as shellfish, although strictly speaking they are crustaceans.