What is the weight difference between fresh and frozen fish?

We all know that during the cooking of a food its weight changes: for example, the mass of vegetables decreases because they lose their water, while pasta and rice absorb it and consequently weigh more.

But have you ever wondered if such a phenomenon can also occur in the case of a frozen product? Let’s see the difference in weight between fresh and frozen fish.

Is a frozen product less safe?

The answer is no!

Fish is a dish that has always been on the table of many Italians and, with our proximity to the sea – not only geographical but also emotional -, our grandmothers have always taught us that the freshness of food is one of the most important aspects to to research.

However, with the advancement of technologies and knowledge in the food field we are getting closer and closer to the consumption of frozen products . This is because, in reality, studies have revealed that frozen foods are often safer foods thanks to the treatments they undergo before going below zero.

In fact, many foods (especially vegetables) are pre-cooked or treated with a thermal process called blanching , i.e. they are boiled quickly or hit by jets of steam in order to eliminate any bacterial contamination and preserve important organoleptic characteristics. If it is true that during this treatment the loss of up to 15% of vitamin C can be observed , it is however necessary to keep in mind that this could normally happen even just by storing fresh vegetables at room temperature.

As regards fish , we remember that it is one of the foods that can be affected by the most bacterial contamination , which is also very risky for human health; it is therefore good to evaluate this information when you have to choose whether to buy frozen fish or fresh fish from a seller.

We at Niedditas are committed to guaranteeing you the maximum safety of our products, both fresh and packaged , always preserving their taste!

Plus, an added benefit of purchasing a frozen product is clearly the shelf life . And this is not only a convenience and a saving, but it is also a way to fight food waste!

But what is the weight difference between fresh and frozen fish?

Many of you will have wondered whether buying frozen fish by weight means “paying for ice” or that, in the case of specific diets in which it is necessary to weigh food, the number on the scale does not correspond to the recommended dose.

This doubt may be due to the existence of frosting , which could be confusing. Glazing consists of an industrial process whereby the surface of the fish product is covered with a layer of ice protecting from humidity, oxygen and temperature, so that the product does not show phenomena of dehydration, oxidation and rancidity.

This may console us: it is not possible to buy “more ice than fish”, because the inspectorate has declared that it is not permissible to sell to communities, nor to final consumers, products which indicate the weight of the product in addition to the indication of the net weight including frosting. Therefore the net weight indicated does not include the weight of the protective ice. However, sometimes the gross weight can also be found on the label with the percentage of frosting indicated.

Frozen fish labels: what else should you pay attention to?

According to Legislative Decree n.109/1992 (article 3, paragraph 1) and subsequent amendments, let’s see some of the things to check on the label:

• The list of ingredients.
• The capture method(farmed or fished).
• The capture areafor the fish and the country of origin for the farmed fish.
• The locationof the manufacturing or packaging plant.
• The minimum shelf life or expiry date.
• The methods of conservationand use if it is necessary to adopt particular precautions depending on the nature of the product.
• The name or company name or registered trademarkand the registered office of the manufacturer or packager or of a seller established in the European Economic Community.
• The wording that allows you to identify the batch the product belongs to.
• The warning that the product must not be refrozen once thawed and the instructions for use.
• The selling price of the package.