Fresh fish can be a healthy and nutritious addition to your diet. When choosing fish, it is important to ensure the fish you are purchasing is fresh and properly handled by the seller. Aged or improperly handled fish can breed bacteria and pose a variety of health threats. Fish that is overexposed to sunlight or improperly refrigerated can develop high levels of scombrotoxin, which may cause illness when consumed. Learning spot fresh fish can reduce your likelihood of contracting a food-borne illness from fish consumption.
Instructions
1. Check the appearance of the fish's eyes if buying a whole fish. The eyes should appear bright and clear. If the eyes appear milky, cloudy, faded or dull, the fish is probably several days old and nearing its expiration date.
2. Check the appearance of the scales and skin of the fish. The scales should be bright, reflective and metallic in appearance. Be wary of fish that is missing scales, appears to be dried out, or has skin that has darkened or dulled. Fresh fish should appear moist and firm. The tail of the fish should also be stiff.
3. Look at the fish's gills and make sure there is no slime present. The gills should also have a bright red color if the fish is fresh. Dull or brownish gills indicate the fish will start to turn soon.
4. Observe the odor of the fish. The smell of the fish should be mild and similar to that of the ocean - in other words, it should also smell fresh, like salt-water or brine. Fish that smells sour, overpowering or rank indicates that it has spoiled or is about to spoil.
5. If you are buying a fillet, test the resiliency of the fish with your finger. Press down on the fillet with one finger and observe the fillet's reaction. If the flesh bounces back and regains its original shape, it is fresh. If the imprint of your finger remains, the fillet is past its prime.
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