Fresh fish label: what it should contain

FRESH FISH LABEL

It is nutritious, digestible, rich in mineral salts, proteins and precious Omega 3, polyunsaturated fatty acids that are good for the heart and brain. Fish is so good for you that you should eat it more than once a week.. Yet his best before date in Italy it is down. The reasons? The high price, especially fresh fish, the time available for cook it, which is always scarce, and the difficulty in interpreting labels and information displayed, which often raises doubts about the authenticity of the product. So how can we recognize the quality of fish, and what information must be included on the label?

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FISH PRODUCT LABELLING: MANDATORY DATA

The Italian Food Safety Authority (FSE) has intervened to put an end to consumers' doubts about fish labels. European legislation. In fact, since December 2014, the law requires that certain information must be present on both packaged and loose fish products., which everyone must display, including local markets and fishmongers:

• la name of the fish species, be that one scientific that which the species has in the country in which it is sold (e.g. “salmon”);
• il production method, that is, whether it is wild-caught or farmed fish;
• l'origin of the product, or the place of fishing, according to the FAO code, which “maps” the seas of the world, or the place of farming;
• lo product status, that is, whether it is frozen, fresh, thawed;
• if it is a frozen product, the must be indicated percentage of icing, that is, protective ice applied to the surface.

ORGANIC FISH LABELLING

The labelling rules just outlined apply to both fish that for crustaceans and clams, both for fresh and frozen products, but not for ready-made or canned dishes. Fish, which on the label is instead defined as biological, in compliance with European regulations, it must also provide further information, such as low-intensity farming and power systems with materials of biological origin, free of pollutants and antibiotics. This information, however, is sometimes omitted.

FISH LABELS: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FRAUD

For fish labels, Fraud is unfortunately just around the corner. Fishmongers and local markets, and more rarely supermarkets, tend to sell fish with incomplete labels. The biggest risk? Buying bluefin tuna for yellowfin tuna, or worse, porbeagle for dogfish, or pangasius for grouper. The fraud may not be linked to the seller, but to the supplier. However, it may be difficult for consumers to defend themselves because it's difficult to trace the production chain. Our advice? Always pay close attention to labels and purchase fish only from trusted sellers.

SUPER SUMMER FISH-BASED RECIPES

• Seafood paella: a recipe for making this traditional Spanish dish at home.
• Tuna meatballs, starting with leftover bread. And with the breadcrumbs, you can make a very healthy dish.
• Cod: the original recipe with caramelized onions
• Fish fingers: a recipe for making one of children's favorite dishes at home.