USA: Outcry grows over questionable “vitamin tuna” treatment process

Published 2024년 6월 11일

Tridge summary

Up to 60% of yellowfin tuna steaks exported from Vietnam are treated with additives and gas to improve color and increase weight, according to seafood executives. The treatments include beet juice, paprika, and various additives, as well as carbon monoxide or a clear smoke. While these treatments are not illegal, they are not declared on labels. The executives recommend end users test for these ingredients. The treatment increases the tuna's value by 15-20% but misleads consumers into thinking they are purchasing a higher-grade product. The practice is becoming more common, especially among companies using lower-grade tuna.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna steaks and loins sold across the United States – and likely Europe and other markets – are increasingly probable to be tainted with unlisted ingredients, including citric acid, beet extract, and sodium, according to three global seafood executives.Up to 60 percent of yellowfin tuna steaks exported from Vietnam undergo a process through which they are injected with a saline solution and then bathed in a mixture of beet juice, paprika, and additives like sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid. After this, they are treated with carbon monoxide or a tasteless, or clear, smoke. The process vastly improves the coloration of lower-grade tuna and gives the product an added water weight that can increase its value by 15 to 20 percent, the executives said.“More and more, it's becoming common practice, specifically for companies using lower-grade raw material like purse-seine tuna,” Sea Delight President Cesar Bencosme told SeafoodSource. “As far as we’re aware, none of ...

Source: Seafoodsource