Smoked fish is a favorite delicacy of many. For its taste and bright aroma, it is appreciated all over the world. Gourmets are not stopped by information about the dangers of smoked meats for health. There is a lot of controversy around the topic of the effect of smoked fish on the body.
Smoked fish harm
Smoking is a well-known way of keeping food fresh for a long time. Nowadays, such processing is often aimed at giving the fish new taste. It is important to know that smoking methods differ and this affects the final product.
So, with cold smoking, pre-salted fish is treated with smoking substances. At the same time, the steam temperature does not rise above 20-25 ° C. This type of smoking is quite long - it often takes up to several days. However, it is in the case of cold smoking that we can talk about the relative harmlessness of the finished fish.
When smoked in a hot way, the temperature of the smoke with which the fish is processed can reach 120 ° C. For this reason, the delicacy becomes ready-to-eat very quickly - after just a few hours. But the price for a quick and fairly simple preparation is high - fish smoked with hot smoke contains the most harmful carcinogens.
The smoke used to process fish contains about a thousand chemicals. The most dangerous of them is benzpyrene.
Smoking "liquid smoke" is another danger. In fact, this is not smoking the product, but only its coloring and aromatization with chemicals. Unscrupulous sellers often resort to this method of smoking, as it allows them to significantly reduce the cost of production. The composition of "liquid smoke" contains a huge amount of toxic phenol, which seriously undermines health.
In Europe, there are clear standards governing the concentration and acceptable dosage of food additives. It is much more difficult to meet low-quality smoked fish there.
Finally, stale fish is often chosen for smoking, and violation of the smoking rules can lead to the fact that parasites or bacteria remain in the finished product. And, of course, smoked fish contains a lot of salt, which is especially harmful for those with kidney problems, children and pregnant women.
The benefits of smoked fish
Any smoking does not add additional fat to the fish, unlike, for example, frying. The finished delicacy contains only the most valuable fish oil in its original state. In addition, fish is extremely rich in useful amino acids, vitamins E, A, D. Fish (especially sea fish) helps to replenish the reserves of macronutrients, it is rich in iodine, calcium and magnesium. All of these substances are partially, but retained in the product prepared by the smoking method.
To get the most out of sea or river smoked fish, it is important to know that the most valuable elements are retained in cold smoked fish. On the contrary, hot smoked delicacy contains the most carcinogens. Moreover, the main part of hazardous chemical compounds contains fish skins. In thin-skinned species (herring, mackerel, capelin), harmful substances easily penetrate through the skin when smoked. It is better to give preference to cold smoked fish with thick skin - this way the harm to the body will be minimized, and the benefit is maximized.
