Tag: Canned

5 fake news debunked on canned tuna – Italian Cuisine

5 fake news debunked on canned tuna


There are many urban legends that circulate about canned tuna, but Italians do not bite into fake news and continue to appreciate this preserve. Here are the main false myths about this product and expert opinion

Raise your hand if you don't have at least one can of tuna in the pantry. Practical, safe and ready to use, canned tuna, in addition to meeting the taste of many, allows us to improvise last minute lunches, save dinner if we have not done the shopping, prepare many and varied recipes. During the lockdown its consumption increased (+ 33.6% in the weeks of the beginning of the emergency) also due to the possibility of stocking it and keeping it for a long time.

Lockdown or not, canned tuna always likes

According to the data of theAncit (National Association of Fish Conservations), in 2019 there was an increase in national production (about 74 thousand tons, + 0.25% on 2018) and in the market value of canned tuna, which is confirmed as one of the most virtuous sectors of the Italian food industry. According to one search Doxa / Ancit, then, the canned tuna It results to be present in 94% of Italian homes is 1 in 2 Italians (43%) eat it every week. And this despite the numerous fake news that circulate on this product. The Italians seem not to fall for it and continue to appreciate, however, this fish preserve.

5 false myths about canned tuna dispelled by the expert

What is said about canned tuna? And what is true and what is not? Luca Piretta (gastroenterologist and nutritionist professor of Allergies and Food Intolerances at the Campus Biomedical University of Rome) collaborated with the Ancit to dispel the main fake news on tuna. Here are the urban legends that circulate about this product and the expert's opinion.

1. "Canned tuna is not as nutritious and healthy as fresh".
Thanks to cutting-edge preservation techniques and the sterilization process that does not require the addition of preservatives, today the box keeps the product safe and long-lasting by fighting waste and preserving its nutritional characteristics, completely similar to those of fresh tuna. "Both are rich in noble proteinseven canned tuna contains more (25 g per 100 g of food) than fresh tuna (21 g per 100 g of food), since the presence of muscle is more concentrated in the can and the percentage is less present of water compared to fresh fish ", explains Luca Piretta" Both bring acids omega 3 fats, protectors of the cardiovascular system. The content of vitamins and minerals also remains unchanged: canned tuna like fresh tuna is rich in iodine, potassium, iron, phosphorus and B vitamins. In addition, the preserved product, at the same nutritional value with the fresh one, is cheaper and offers numerous advantages in relation to its easy availability, shelf life and versatility in the kitchen .

2. "Canned tuna is not suitable for feeding the third and fourth age".
Canned tuna, thanks to the supply of noble proteins and essential amino acids, is precious for tissue reconstruction and cell turnover, for fcognitive-brain anointings, for the protection and functioning of blood vessels and for the bone and tooth health. And in the third and fourth age it helps fight the sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass associated with the reduction of strength and physical performance, which affects the adults over 60 years, significantly accentuating in subjects who have turned 80 years old. The expert explains: "First of all, it is rich in proteins of high biological value and therefore it is very useful to combat sarcopenia, that is, the loss of muscle mass, which occurs over the years. It also provides valuable nutrients for the health of the heart and arteries such as omega 3 fatty acids and is rich in vitamins and mineral salts that with their antioxidant power counteract the aging processes. Still, it's packed with Vitamin D (which tends to decrease especially in the elderly), valuable for fighting osteoporosis. Finally, canned tuna is a food that is easy to chew and highly digestible and can advantageously replace other dishes that are more expensive and require more complex culinary preparation .

3. "Canned tuna contains preservatives".
Tuna, water or oil and sea salt, natural flavors: these are the ingredients of canned tuna that no conservant neededthe. Once filled, the packages are closed tightly and then sterilized at a temperature between 110 ° and 120 °, thus ensuring safe storage for several years, inside the sealed metal box. Luca Piretta explains: «Canned tuna is a thermally sterilized food in a sealed metal box. Sterilization guarantees the healthiness and conservation of the tuna and allows to maintain all its nutritional and organoleptic properties (smell, color, flavor, consistency); it is, therefore, in all respects a preserve without preservatives, healthy and safe from a hygienic point of view. With this method, naturalness is not compromised, and the integrity of the product is guaranteed, without the need to resort to preservatives ".

4. "Canned tuna has a high mercury content".
Regarding mercury, a survey conducted by the Experimental Station for the Food Preserving Industry (SSICA) on behalf of Ancit, analyzed samples of tuna cans in oil of different brands, taken directly from the market: the recorded mercury value it was almost always less than 0.5 milligrams per kilo, and in any case well below the maximum limit, set by European and national legislation, of 1 milligram per kilo on the fresh weight of fish muscle. «The SSICA analyzes are particularly interesting because they have also confirmed the presence of respectable selenium values (over 500 micrograms per kilo) capable of mitigating the toxicity of the possible presence of reduced quantities of mercury ", explains the professor. "In any case, taking into account the recommended weekly quantity and the actual percentage of mercury present in the tuna, it is still a large safety margin".

5. "Canned tuna has a high sodium content".
In a box of 80 grams (equal to 52 grams of drained tuna) there are 0.16 grams of sodium: the same amount that we introduce by eating an average slice of bread (about 50 grams) or a portion of 100 grams of mozzarella. Luca Piretta: "In the latest revision of the Nutrient and Energy Reference Intake Levels for the Italian population (LARN), the intake of 1.5 grams of sodium per day, that is 3.75 grams / day of salt, essential nutrient for the well-being of the body. Canned tuna in oil has an average sodium content of 316 milligrams per 100 grams of food, therefore below the recommended limits. It is therefore correct to say that canned tuna provides macro and micronutrients that are precious allies for our body, including sodium, in the right quantities .

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Canned mackerel: how to buy the best – Italian Cuisine

Canned mackerel: how to buy the best


Tasty and nutritious, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron and vitamin D, canned mackerel lends itself to different uses in the kitchen: from fast lunch when you have little time as an ingredient for elaborate recipes.

Here are some tips to choose it best.

Atlantic and Pacific
Mackerel are usually fished in the Atlantic Ocean and worked fresh on the fishing site, generally in Morocco, Portugal, Albania, Spain, Ireland, Iceland but also in Peru. To ensure that fishing takes place in compliance with protected species and the marine ecosystem, the Friend of the sea certification was born, to which several Italian companies also adhere.
In the boxes they can end different species of mackerel: the most common is it Scomber scombrus, which lives mainly in the Atlantic ocean and part of the Mediterranean sea. But in some boxes you can find it Scomber japonicus which also comes from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The mackerel meats are canned after being steamed, in water or on the grill. And they can be preserved naturally (i.e. in water and salt) or in oil (from seeds, olives or extra virgin): in the latter case the percentage of oil must be indicated on the label, which can range from 28 to 34% of the total weight of the product. A counter-test also comes from the net weight of the drained product, mandatory on the label.

How we work
The fresh mackerel is cleaned, washed and steamed, in water or grilled salty so that it remains firmer.
After cooking, the pieces are cleaned by hand, eliminating skin, bones and dark parts and the fillets of the desired size are obtained. So the mackerel comes immediately packaged in metal boxes or in glass jars, and then covered with a liquid of government which guarantees its conservation and which can be oil, brine or sauce. Thereafter the packages are sealed and subjected to sterilization at 110-120 ° C. This heat treatment guarantees its stability allowing a long conservation.

Eye on labels and packaging
The box labels usually show i nutritional values of the drained product, the indication of the origin, or rather the catch area and also the method of fishing. Before buying a can of mackerel, also check the integrity of the same: avoid putting dented or bulging packs in the cart, they could be signs of the presence of gas andalterations, also determined by microorganisms or pathogenic germs.
Another important information to look for on the label, to choose the best product, is the type of oil used: to prefer that olive compared to seed oil, while for those who follow low-calorie diets, it is advisable to prefer natural mackerel.
If you choose the glass packs, increasingly popular in recent times, you can also observe the consistency of the fillets: the more compact they are, the higher the quality.

Manuela Soressi

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Canned legumes: how to choose and use them – Italian Cuisine


Canned legumes are the ideal food to always keep at home for healthy and quick preparations and for when we don't have time to shop

Have at home canned foods it's always a great idea, both to always have the ingredients available quick to cook both to be able to consume foods that not available in all months of the year.

Among the most common ingredients that can be found in the box there are certainly i legumes: chickpeas, peas, beans, lentils, fava beans can easily be found in shops and supermarkets and they preserve almost all the nutritional values than fresh ones.

The difference between canned and fresh legumes

Ready-made legumes, as mentioned, almost completely preserve the nutritional values ​​of fresh prepared foods. The big difference from the others is that they are already cooked and that contain salt as this ingredient is added to aid conservation in the government liquid. For this reason it is good practice rinse the products well before consuming them.

In addition to water and salt, some products may contain sugar and monosodium glutamate to correct the flavor.

What is the best container for storing legumes?

The best material for canned legumes is definitely the glass: less subject to deterioration, it also allows you to check the content. For all canned legumes, of course, the rule of checking that package that houses them is intact, there are no traces of rust, deformations, dents and breakages. Finally, it is ideal that the packaging date it is not older than 24 months before consumption.

canned legumes italian cuisine recipes how to store them pea ideas

The recipes to make with canned legumes

All the canned ingredients they can be used for common recipes, with the foresight to pass them under water to eliminate most of the storage liquid (rich in sodium) and use less salt during preparation.

Peas, for example, can be used to make the pasta, some tasty soups, some soups, the savory pies, omelettes is flans.

Canned beans are excellent for seasoning pasta, even with the mussels for the Neapolitan recipe, with the eggs, in a soup, with the Tripe and also with a delicate fish like fisherwoman.

Lentils can be used to make tasty burger, for a soup, one cream, to prepare the pancakes and even for a sweet.

Canned beans are perfect for preparing hummus, in a guacamole with prawns, in a first course, a risotto or one omelette.

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