NUTRITIVE VALUE AND QUALITY OF FISH 363 



This type of oil has been shown-^ to be effective in lowering blood cho- 

 lesterol. Such fish oils are effective even when included in the diet with 

 much larger quantities of saturated fatty acids. 



Both the flavor of fish and many of its nutritive components are soluble 

 in water; therefore, thawing unwrapped fish in water or boiling fish in 

 water that later is discarded are wasteful practices. Some vitamins are 

 destroyed by excessive heat and fats are oxidized at high temperatures; 

 therefore, moderate temperatures should be used when cooking fish to 

 avoid overcooking them. The Test Kitchen Series published by the U.S. 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is a good source of information on the 

 proper methods of cooking fish. 



Information Needed by Consumers of Fishery Products 



The most important and valuable result of the effort and skill of the 

 fishing industry is the production of food for human beings. To produce 

 food products that meet the aesthetic, nutritive, and convenience stand- 

 ards of the American public is indeed a challenge. In order to do this, the 

 processor of fishery products must have an accurate knowledge of what 

 these standards are. On the other hand, the consumer must be in pos- 

 session of certain basic knowledge in regard to fishery products before she 

 can apply her food standards to fish. 



Species and Market Forms. Approximately 240 species of fish and 

 shellfish are available on the markets in the United States. In addition, 

 innumerable processed and ready-to-eat forms of these species are avail- 

 able to the consumer. The development of convenience foods is growing 

 at a tremendous rate. This development is particularly important in fish 

 marketing as many consumers lack confidence in their own ability to 

 prepare palatable dishes from these products. 



The variety of species and market forms that is available in the field of 

 fishery products precludes any danger of monotony for people who wish 

 to eat or serve fish often. 



Fish for Special Diets. The nutritional characteristics of fishery prod- 

 ucts make them valuable for use in both normal and special diets. Species 

 of fish can be chosen to fulfill specific nutritive requirements. 



The high content of complete protein combined with the extremely 

 low fat content of many species of fish make them ideal for inclusion in 

 weight-reduction diets. The section of the fish from which the serving 

 portion is taken influences fat content. For instance, slices of fish taken 

 from near the head contain up to several times as much fat as the tail 

 portion. 



Two factors that are often controlled in special diets are type of fat 

 and sodium content. The high degree of polyunsaturation found in fish 



