Nutrition

The New England Aquarium's Michael Tlusty and two colleagues recently published a paper suggesting that achieving sustainable aquaculture production was a continuous process, not something that was done with a single standard.

He took three species of farmed fish: catfish, rainbow trout, and sablefish, and showed that for each of these species, raising smaller fish and harvesting them sooner had better feed conversion, better crop cycles, and more economic efficiency for the grower than raising large fish to create portion sizes currently demanded by chefs.

Tlustly said that North American dining customers like to have a singular large piece of protein in the center of the plate. When fish is the protein of choice, the portion size from many species is limited by the overall size of the fish.

Therefore, for these species, the means to achieve a singular larger portion of 'center of the plate' protein is to grow a larger animal.

However, fish become less efficient in converting feed to protein as they age.

A second option would be to provide two smaller fillets originating from younger, more efficient fish. In the paper (Tlusty, Michael F. ; Hardy, Ronald; Cross, Stephen F. 2011. "Limiting Size of Fish Fillets at the Center of the Plate Improves the Sustainability of Aquaculture Production." Sustainability 3, no. 7: 957-964), the sustainability ramifications of these two protein provisioning strategies (single large or two small fillets) are considered for three species of fish produced in aquaculture. Growth data for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) produced in ponds, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in raceways, and sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) in marine net pens. They were modeled to assess the total biomass and overall food conversion ratio for the production of small, medium or large fish. The production of small fish added an additional 50% or more biomass per year for trout, catfish, and sablefish compared to the production of large fish. Feed conversion ratios were also improved by nearly 10% for the smaller compared to larger fish of each species.

Thus, even though all of these species tend to be considered aquaculture species of low environmental impact (and hence 'green' or sustainable options), the product form requested by retailers and served by chefs can further increase the sustainability of these species.

Within the restaurant and food service sectors, the preference in North America tends to be for large portion sizes. Increases in portion size within the 'center of the plate' are achieved differently for different proteins. Increases in portion sizes of beef or pork can be achieved by providing a thicker cut or a different larger cut. However, for fish, a different scenario is likely to occur. Many popular species of farmed fish such as tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), or catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are too small to merely provide a larger or thicker fillet as could occur with a larger bodied fish such as tuna, Thunnus spp.. Thus, increases in fillet size for small bodied fish necessitate the fish to be grown to a larger size. Since larger and older animals tend to convert feed to protein less efficiently than smaller individuals of the same species, there may be sustainability consequences of growing fish to a larger body size.

This story is reproduced with permission from SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site.

 

 

 

 

That’s no longer possible because of strict regulations that require restaurants to purchase seafood from licensed wholesalers, explained Durfee, who now manages George’s, his family’s Narragansett seafood restaurant. The system helps ensure that food is safe, but also makes it more difficult for restaurants to get fresh fish and for fishermen to earn a living.

That’s no longer possible because of strict regulations that require restaurants to purchase seafood from licensed wholesalers, explained Durfee, who now manages George’s, his family’s Narragansett seafood restaurant. The system helps ensure that food is safe, but also makes it more difficult for restaurants to get fresh fish and for fishermen to earn a living.

But recently, an entrepreneurial group of three Point Judith fishermen have started to use modern technology and business acumen to market and sell their catch directly to restaurants in Rhode Island and the Boston area. It’s a modern version of what those fishermen were doing a generation or two ago at George’s.

“We can deliver fish that was in the water at noontime to a restaurant in Providence by three in the afternoon,” Christopher Brown said. “That’s unheard of.”

In January, after obtaining the proper licensing, Brown, Steve Arnold and Bob Westcott began selling and delivering fish under their own label, Wild Rhody. Selling direct requires more legwork than going through a wholesaler. But it also allows them to set their own prices and make more profit.

“We’re becoming businessmen, finally, as opposed to just hunters and gatherers,” Brown said.

 

 

Read the complete story from The Providence Journal

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska's congressional delegation is keeping up its battle to keep genetically modified salmon off the market.

Senators Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined six other senators on July 15 in signing a letter to the federal Food and Drug Administration, warning the agency not to dismiss the clear congressional opinion opposing approval of genetically modified salmon.

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was one of 15 members of the House who signed a similar letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, also on July 15.

The agency is considering an application by Aqua Bounty, Inc. to grow genetically-engineered salmon in Panama for importation into the United States, with plans to eventually grow the fish in the U.S.

The genetically-altered fish would grow faster than natural fish and there are serious concerns about the impact of escaped fish on wild salmon stocks, the suitability of such fish for human consumption, and the FDA's approval process for the fish, Begich and Murkowski said.

Read the complete story from The Dutch Harbor Fisherman.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer seems to be the time for seafood and with Americans consuming more fish and other products each year, a leading Florida food expert from N2N Global warns about seafood fraud-a deceptive, expensive and sometimes dangerous practice targeting consumers.

"The saying goes, you are what you eat. But what we are asking consumers is, if you don't know what you are eating, you could be in big trouble, " says N2N Global Chairwoman, Angela Paymard. N2N Global, based in Orlando, Florida is an industry leader in food safety, traceability and compliance.

It is estimated that Americans consume more than 5 billion pounds of seafood each year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that about 84% of American seafood is imported but only a small percentage is examined by the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, a recent Government Accounting Office report found that the FDA devotes " minimal resources" to detect and prevent seafood fraud.

Read the complete article from The San Francisco Chronicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many eaters who were stunned by a recent study showing that farmed Atlantic salmon is frequently sold as wild Pacific salmon in Puget Sound area restaurants were equally surprised that the groundbreaking research was conducted by undergraduates.

Cline's students obtained match head-sized salmon flakes from 105 restaurants, fish markets, and grocery stores around Pierce County. Testing showed that 7 percent of salmon sold in stores–and a whopping 38 percent of salmon sold in restaurants–was mislabeled.

Since there's "not a ton" of funding for uncovering deceit among restaurants, Cline says much of the research designed to ferret out false fish in restaurants nationwide has been conducted by students. Other educators have contacted Cline to ask how to replicate her project with their classes.

The relative simplicity and affordability of modern DNA testing has made fish-tracking a feasible project for young scientists who once spent their lab sessions mounting hair on microscope slides and dissecting fetal pigs. And as technology continues to advance, civilians may soon be able to scientifically hold restaurateurs accountable for what they serve.

Read the complete blog from Seattle Weekly.

 

 

 

 

FishRadio from the At-Sea Processors Association in Alaska reports on studies showing that Omega-3 oils from fish are a more valuable nutrient than those from plant sources.

Listen to the story from FishRadio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think you're eating red snapper? According to a new report, it actually might be a fish of a different color entirely.

The non-profit advocacy group Oceana says nearly one-in-three fish we eat is mislabeled. "Early Show" Special Contributor Katie Lee explained it's called "fish fraud." That means when you go to your favorite restaurant, grocery store or seafood market, your fish might be something else altogether.

According to Oceana, fish are often replaced with cheaper species. Oceana's report says cod is often oilfish. Wild salmon, they say, could be straight from the farm. And red snapper is something different like tilapia more than 70 percent of the time.

Read the complete story from CBS.

 

 

 

 

For the last several years, many pregnant women have been seriously limiting — or scrupulously avoiding — fish in their diets. This is largely due to a 2004 advisory from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency recommending that pregnant women limit fish consumption to 12 ounces — roughly two average meals — per week, and that they eat varieties of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury (here's the whole advisory).

The problem with eating less fish during pregnancy is that it potentially deprives the developing fetus of vital nutrients. The omega-3 fatty acids, which are present in nearly all fish and particularly abundant  in cold water varieties such as wild salmon, sardines, herring and black cod, are essential for healthy development of a baby's brain and nervous system. No other common food source delivers these nutrients in such quantity.

The crucial point: Research now suggests that the benefit to a baby's neurological health from omega-3s appears to far outweigh the potential for harm from small amounts of mercury in fish tissues.

Read the complete story from The Huffington Post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many advantages to eating fish or taking fish oil supplements as part of a healthy diet.

But new research out of the University of Connecticut shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil is particularly beneficial to pregnant women, as it appears to reduce symptoms of postpartum depression.

In a recent study, Judge focused on whether docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, a prominent omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, lowers the risk of postpartum depression when it is consumed during pregnancy. UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Cheryl Beck, an international expert on postpartum depression, and former UConn professor Carol Lammi-Keefe, who is now the Alma Beth Clark professor and head of the Human Nutrition & Food Division in the School of Human Ecology at Louisiana State University, served as co-PIs for the project. The study results were presented at Experimental Biology 2011 in Washington, D.C. in April.

Read the complete story from UConn Today.

 

 

 

 

 

Hong Kong — Coral Seafood Restaurant owner Norman Ho’s problem with shark’s fin soup is not that he’s worried about sharks. It’s that making a flavorful soup out of the tasteless fins is an elaborate, costly process.

The fins have to be soaked in cold water for half a day and then boiled with ginger and spring onions. Then soaked in tap water for four hours. And finally boiled for six to eight hours with chicken stock and Chinese ham to add flavor because there’s no taste otherwise.

“All the taste comes from the soup. You have to put the shark fin and the soup together,” he said. “To serve the shark’s fin soup is more or less status.”

Read the complete story from The Washington Post.