Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I have found other hacks on similar topics but haven't seen a definitive answer. Does the cooking during the canning process oxidize the PUFA and Omega 3 in salmon?

I have been devouring the 14oz Wild Pink Salmon Cans from Trader Joes. The fish is wild, has all bones and skin included AND Trader Joes has it in a BPA free can. I thought I had all my bases covered for a great source of protein and a convenient meal until some reading led me to question the PUFA oxidation.

On a related note, I am constantly seeing a post on the Panu blog referenced about this topic but the link is broken. Can anyone provide a correct link?

edited Mar 22 2012 at 15:46

Denis
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asked Mar 22 2012 at 13:30

Denis
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	I have tried asking this question, but there is never a clear answer, I guess no one really knows. – ROB Mar 22 2012 at 23:58
	It seems like some PUFA will be oxidized regardless. The question now is how much? Does anyone know how long and at what temperature canned food is cooked at? – Denis Mar 23 2012 at 11:29

Amy B. · Answer 1 · 2012-06-08 20:17:38Z UTC

I submitted this exact question to Robb Wolf via the podcast, and he answered it!

You can check out the episode here. (My question is #5 if you scroll down.)

His answer was basically that with canned fish, the pros outweigh the cons. Some of the n-3 is probably lost, but overall, he considered the canning process a fairly gentle way of cooking fish. And my personal opinion is that the n-3 is a little more "protected" when cooking fish as a whole food (even canning), as opposed to heating something like isolated flax oil, walnut oil, and stuff like that, where it's no longer in its natural package. I recommend listening to his answer when you get a chance. Good stuff. You can fast forward to it if you want...around 23:58.)

I was a little concerned about the oxidized fat, myself, but canned fish (not just salmon, but sardines, mackerel, etc) is just too damn handy and cost effective a source of good protein for me to kick to the curb.

jjtitus · Answer 2 · 2012-03-22 13:54:55Z UTC

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I always thought they cooked canned salmon/tuna under pressure in a sealed vessel... kind of like pasteurization... I don't know this for a fact, however, so maybe someone else has first hand experience and can clarify this...

If the salmon is pressure cooked, there should be minimal oxidization and it shouldn't be a problem. I love canned salmon as well, so I hope this is the case!

answered Mar 22 2012 at 13:54

jjtitus
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	Why does pressure cooked = minimal oxidation? – Dan Jun 8 at 3:12
	Pressure cooking limits oxygen exposure, reducing oxidation when compared to open air methods (frying, oven, grill, etc...). – jjtitus Jun 8 at 11:03
	The fish is sealed in the can before the heating. So they are pressure cooked in the can with very little oxygen available. – Karen Jun 8 at 20:21

Matt · Answer 3 · 2012-03-22 14:22:21Z UTC

Cooking is an oxidative process, so yes, some of the PUFAs are going to be oxidized. Is that avoidable? Not really, unless you eat sashimi exclusively (even then, a certain percentage of PUFAs are getting oxidized just by cutting the fish.)

JeJ · Answer 4 · 2012-03-22 15:55:39Z UTC

When I can my own salmon, I pressure cook it. I asked my BF because he gets his fish industrially canned, but he doesn't know how they do it. I think anytime you cook fish or heat it up to a temp there is going to be some oxidation, but I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless you want to only eat raw fish (which is great, but not always convenient or available in the safe form).

Jeff · Answer 5 · 2012-03-22 13:42:51Z UTC

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I used to wonder the same thing, but there isn't any oxygen in the cans to react so I don't think it'd be much of a problem?

answered Mar 22 2012 at 13:42

Jeff
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From what I understand, the companies that make canned salmon have a two part cooking process. First they cook the fish beforehand then put it into the can, seal it, and cook it again to kill anything harmful. I am worried about the first part of the cooking process. – Denis Mar 22 2012 at 13:45

That One Guy · Answer 6 · 2012-06-08 00:19:37Z UTC

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This has my orthorexia in hyper drive. Does anyone know of any solid evidence showing canned fish (salmon in particular) has high amounts of oxidized omega 3 and cholesterol? I found some indirect information from Cordain talking about canned fish being no good. If this is true, it would be a huge hit to the gut, for me. Canned salmon is a great source of many vitamins and minerals along with omega 3s. Thanks

answered Jun 8 at 0:19

That One Guy
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You know, if you stop eating, you also stop ingesting toxins, ALEs, AGEs, oxidized fats, etc... – Matt Jun 8 at 1:26

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If it's a great source of vitamins and minerals and omega 3s ............. eat it. – Dan Jun 8 at 3:14

Haha Matt, if they invent a pill to get all my nutritional needs, I'd be the first to sign up. I generally don't stress over food, but if Cordain says canned fish is bad, I am screwed because he is always right. – That One Guy Jun 8 at 10:29

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I am assuming the above is a joke. Its a joke, right? – Denis Jun 8 at 11:26

Haha, come on man! – That One Guy Jun 8 at 23:48

Canned Salmon: Are the Omega 3s Oxidized?

6 Answers