Tuna which has
been sprayed by carbon monoxide retains the
bright red color of raw meat. The fish should
remain fresh because mostly Tuna eaters love
to eat it raw as Sashmi. So the bright red color
is an indication of freshness. This color is
due to the oxygenated muscle pigments. There
no direct health implications if you eat CO
treated Tuna.
Tuna which was
once a seasonal delicacy is now available all
the year round. Because of the seafood expansion,
the exporters find it necessary to reach it
to consumers looking fresh. CO prevents Tuna
meat from discoloration. CO is also a component
of wood smoke and is therefore not harmful.
Since Tuna contains
omega 3 fatty acid, which prevents clotting
of blood and reduces the risk of heart disease,
it was definitely recommended in the US. In
2003, frozen Tuna exports to the USA was very
high. They were imported in pouches which are
relatively new products. But Tuna which comes
in pouches is twice as expensive as canned Tuna.
But due to increased tariff rates for pouch
Tuna exports, they are now gradually on the
decline and canned Tuna has once again taken
over.
According to
the seafood industry estimates, 25 million pounds
of CO Tuna, about 30% of total Tuna imports
were brought into the United States, mainly
from processors in Southeast Asia. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) regards CO Tuna
as safe. They permit its use to preserve the
color of fresh Tuna.
Sales of CO Tuna
has increased in both domestic and international
fish commerce in the United States. There is
continued usage of CO Tuna in the US because
the fresh red color of the meat has great appeal.
In the late 1970s, patents began to appear for
specific applications of CO to import color
in meat. So far as fish was concerned, the most
meaningful patent was issued by Kowalski for
use of 'tasteless smoke' for color retention
in frozen seafood. This encourages more recent
issues of CO applications.
Hence the commercial
use of CO Tuna is expanding primarily with fish
which are harvested at sea. The leader is the
US market because of consumer acceptance. It
was found out through certain investigative
procedures, that CO treated Tuna was less problematic
than the same Tuna without prior CO. 100% CO
Tuna maintains color intensity for 11 days of
refrigerated storage. Most consumers around
the world feel that the lollypop red flesh signals
freshness and quality.
The use of CO
process on Tuna has opened up new markets in
the United States, especially at the retail
level.
For price
quotes and any further information, feel free
to call us today at:
Siam
Canadian Foods Co., Ltd.
9th Floor, Suite 283/44, Home Place Office Building.
283 Thonglor 13, Sukhumvit 55
Kongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110,
THAILAND
Call us at +66-2-185-3311
Fax: +66-2-185-3317
Email us at info@siamcanadian.com
