A total 45 tons of illegally treated tuna has been seized in Spain, according to a statement from the National Protection Agency (SEPRONA). The tuna, authorized only for canned consumption, had been illegally treated with substances to ‘enhance the colour’ and had been brought to the market to be sold as fresh tuna. The authorities tracked the tuna back to its origin, where they discovered that the tuna hadn’t been frozen according to legal regulations to be able to market the tuna as fresh for human consumption.

Sources: Undercurrent News, Seafoodsource

Stop illegal treatment of tuna
Nitrites are not authorized for use in tuna, while the addition of nitrites via vegetable extract does not comply with the specifications for nitrites laid down in the EU Commission Regulation No 231/2012. The EU commission urges the supply chain to take action to put a stop to these activities “in order to avoid a new major food fraud crisis.”

The use of nitrites not only deceives customers regarding the color of the tuna, but the antioxidants used in combination with the nitrite-rich extracts mask the nitrite. The products look fresh and of high quality, but in reality may contain high amounts of histamines, which can cause strong allergic reactions.

SUPERFROZEN Tuna to guarantee fresh quality
So called ‘fresh tuna’ can actually be up to 14 days old and deteriorating in quality before it is ultimately consumed. To stop this, Culimer invested in the ‘SUPERFROZEN’ -60°C storage process in 2006. By freezing tuna onboard and defrosting the product when required, no contamination can occur up to the point of consumption, giving your customers the ultimate taste of sashimi tuna.

As the Japanese sushi and sashimi markets have understood for a long time, SUPERFROZEN is the best quality, 100% natural tuna that money can buy.

SUPERFROZEN = 100% natural = Super fresh