Raw or smoked salmon – is it healthy?

It is generally known that salmon is healthy and, according to the Nutrition Center, fits into a healthy diet. In salmon contains healthy fats that are good for your heart and blood vessels. But do these health benefits also apply to raw salmon? And what about smoked salmon?

What is smoked fish?

Salmon is mainly consumed smoked. It is very popular and can be used in many ways in dishes. Not only salmon, but also mackerel and eel are often smoked. The fish is salted for preservation and smoked fish therefore contains a relatively large amount of salt.

How is salmon smoked?

There are several methods of smoking fish; hot smoking and cold smoking.
Hot smoking: To smoke salmon hot, the fresh salmon is first dried for one and a half hours in the smoker on a wood fire. Smoke is created by covering the fire with sawdust. The salmon is then smoked for an hour at a temperature of 80 to 100 degrees.
Cold smoking: When cold smoking salmon, the fish is first brined. The salmon is then smoked for hours at a low temperature.

Can Eating Smoked Salmon Be Dangerous?

So smoked salmon is often covered in salt overnight. This absorbs into the fish and the excess salt is then rinsed off. A piece of 100 grams contains more than 2.5 grams of salt. The Heart Foundation recommends eating a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day. Eating less salt can help lower blood pressure. Eating too much salt can lead to increased blood pressure or even cardiovascular disease. So eat smoked salmon in moderation, just like other salty foods. You can eat fish every week as often as you want, but not too often smoked fish.

Why is the salt added to smoked fish?

By salting the fish before smoking it, the fish retains its fat content and texture, but loses moisture. This ensures a nice pink salmon as a result, with a lot of flavor and compact texture. Without the salting of smoked fish, it would retain its moisture and the fish would have less flavor.

Flavor your own fish

Salmon is rich in flavor on its own and needs no salt. By using crème frache or sour cream with fresh salmon, wild salmon or organic salmon in dishes, you can make the tastiest dishes with spices (such as a little bit of salt and pepper).

Can Eating Raw Salmon Be Dangerous?

Fish can be contaminated with salmonella or listeria. You cannot see the pathogens, smell or taste them. A good fishmonger or webshop will offer salmon that is of good quality and is therefore not contaminated. So pay attention to where you buy the fish.

Does salmon contain heavy metals?

Black metals such as mercury and lead are harmful substances for our body. Some fish species may contain these substances. Salmon do not swim close to the bottom and therefore do not contain heavy metals.

When can you eat salmon raw?

If you want to eat raw salmon, make sure it’s fresh. Fresh fish does not smell. It does have a fishy scent, of course, but smells fresh. Therefore, keep raw fish and raw salmon well-chilled in the refrigerator at 4 °C, close well and do not keep it too long before consumption.

Eating raw salmon when you are pregnant

Pregnant women, the elderly and people with a reduced resistance should not eat raw fish. Sushi and smoked salmon are also included. Properly heating these products is one way to make them edible for this risk group.

Why is salmon said to be healthy?

Salmon is healthy because it contains good fatty acids, including omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids protect against cardiovascular disease and are part of a healthy diet. The Nutrition Center therefore recommends eating fish at least once a week. Preferably fatty fish, such as salmon. Moreover, you can make the tastiest dishes with it.

Salmon as oily fish

Salmon is healthy because it is oily fish. And not because it is fat after baking, but because it is naturally fat. Your body needs fat, it is an important fuel. Fat also ensures that you get vitamins A, D and E. The omega-3 fatty acids protect against cardiovascular disease.

Fat percentage and salmon

The reason salmon is so fatty is that the salmon usually needs a lot of energy to swim upstream. There he lays the eggs where he was born.

King salmon, for example, sometimes consists of up to twenty-four percent oil. This percentage continues to decrease as the distance the salmon travels on the river.

Fish in general can be divided into three types of fat content:

– Lean types (0-2 gr fat)
– Medium fat types (2-10 gr fat)
– Fatty types (10 gr fat)

Salmon belongs to the latter category and is therefore a fatty fish. There are 12 to 15 grams of fat in a slice of salmon of about 100 grams. Of this, 2.5 grams is saturated fat and a whopping 10 grams is unsaturated fat.

The nutritional value of 100 grams of raw farmed Atlantic salmon

Energy: 932kJ or 224kcal

Nutrients:

Fat: 16g
Saturated fatty acids: 3g
Trans fatty acids: 0g
Protein: 20g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 39mg
Carbohydrates, in total: 0g
Protein: 19.2g

Vitamins:
Vitamin A: 26 µg
Vitamin D: 10 µg
Riboflavin: 0.11mg
Foliate: 7µg
Vitamin B12: 3.5µg

Minerals:
Calcium: 15mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Selenium: 30µg

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Eating fish is generally healthy

Eating fish, especially fatty fish such as eel, mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna and sardines, has a positive effect on health. In general, it is recommended to eat fish at least once a week as it reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease. This certainly applies to people in risk groups.

Buy raw or smoked salmon?

As a consumer, you can find raw, cold-smoked or hot-smoked salmon at supermarkets, fishmongers or online web shops.

Do you want to buy bulk packaging? Then go to the wholesaler in your area.

To buy raw salmon per pallet, please contact our sales team. Neerlandia Urk is a specialist in the processing and sale of salmon. Please feel free to contact us, we are happy to help.