Frequently asked questions

What is canned fish made of?

• canned food from prepared semi-finished product;
• canned food from natural raw material.

Canned food made of natural raw material, which is heat treated during pasteurization. Moreover, the taste and aromatic properties of the product depend on the natural properties of the raw materials. 

Canned food of the prepared semi-finished product is made as follows: raw material, both before and after being placed in a container, is subjected to heat and chemical treatment. Chemical processing is the processing of fish with substances that change its composition. These substances include: salt, vegetable oil, smoke, etc. During the manufacturing process, the contents of canned food acquire a specific taste, colour and aroma.

What can canned food be?

According to the cooking technology, the type of filling (sauce, marinade, own juice/broth), in accordance with the method of use, canned food is divided into groups:

• natural fish in oil;
• natural fish with added oil;
• vegetable and fish;
• in tomato sauce;
• pates, pastes, soufflés;
• dietary;
• others (canned fish soup, mussels, seaweed).

According to the method of primary processing, canned food in oil is divided into canned food of:

• blanched fish;
• fried fish;
• кsmoked fish (sprats);
• dried fish (sardines).

Canned fish in tomato sauce is made of all types of fish. Tomato sauce consists of an evaporated mixture of 12% tomato puree, salt, sugar, fried onions, bay leaves, allspice, vegetable oil, coriander, cloves, various spices, herbs and acetic acid.

Canned vegetables and fish having < 50% of the net mass of fish. The process of preparing such canned food from various, mainly small varieties of fish with added cereals, pasta, legumes and vegetables (carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, eggplants, etc.). At the same time, the nutritional value of such canned food is increased due to the vitamins and carbohydrates contained in vegetables. Vegetables are added fresh or dry together with fish raw materials. Then the sauce is added. This is a great snack food. It is also used for preparing soups and main courses.

Pastes and pates are prepared of fish, cod liver, crustaceans, as well as fish leftovers after making canned food. Raw materials and semi-finished products are crushed to a homogeneous mass. Then animal or vegetable oil, onion, tomato, spices are added and the resulting mass is sealed in a can.

Diet canned food does not contain spices. Vitamin and mineral elements, butter and other substances are added to enhance the nutritional value and give preventive properties to the product.

How is canned fish prepared?

The main stages of preparing canned fish are as follows:

1. First, the fish is sorted by species and size, washed, scaled, gutted, cut into portions.
2. The resulting fish portions are salted and heat-treated (fried, baked, boiled in a spicy solution, with added vinegar, or smoked).
3. The resulting product is packaged in a can, from which the air is then removed.
4. Cans are closed and sterilized for 30 minutes, while the temperature of this process should be at least +12 degrees.
5. A mixture of salt, gelatine, sugar, citric acid, condiments and spices is added to stabilize the product, impart integrity to the fish pieces.

Canned fish does not lose its beneficial features. The pasteurization process allows you to preserve almost all the qualities of the resulting product. There are more trace elements like iodine, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, in canned food than in freshly frozen fish.

Fish raw materials are the main ingredient in canned fish; in their taste and nutritional value they can compete with meat, and even surpass it in digestibility.

And also fish food, especially the extractive substances of its juice, contribute to a more active secretion of gastric juice than meat.

There is exactly the same amount of calcium in one hundred grams of ordinary canned fish as in a glass of milk. Fish is rich in antioxidants: beta-carotene and lycopene, while the maximum beneficial features are achieved at the time of heat treatment.

Canned fish have a rich composition of nutrients and beneficial features:

• macro and microelements;
• omega-3 fatty acids;
• quickly and more easily absorbed and digested in comparison with poultry and animal meat;
• quickly and more easily absorbed and digested in comparison with poultry and animal meat.

What is the shelf life of canned food?

Storage conditions for canned food in dry rooms at temperatures:

• 0 to +10 degrees: natural canned food;
• 0 to +20 degrees: canned food in oil;
• 0 to +5 degrees: canned food in tomato sauce, air humidity <75%.

The shelf life of canned food is up to three years:

• 6 to 24 months: natural canned food;
• 12 to 24 months: canned food in oil;
• 6 to 18 months: canned food in tomato sauce.

There are some peculiarities when choosing canned fish. If you prefer juicy, fatty fish, the date of production of canned food should be in autumn. Fish at this time usually fatten up, preparing for the winter period. See the spring production date, late March to early May, for canned food with roe.