Tuna Harvest and Production Describe

¶ … Tuna Harvest and Production

Describe the composition of the chosen food.

Among the world's supply of fish used for food, perhaps no other species remains as sought after across all cultures than the saltwater finfish known as the tuna. From the "white meat tuna" of the Albacore, to the massive and highly prized Atlantic Bluefin, the tuna fish has historically been considered as vital a foodstuff for coastal nations as cattle within landlocked locales. Since the advent of canned tuna in 1903, the fish has become a staple food source across nearly all cultures, from the standard tuna fish and mayonnaise sandwich packed in American schoolchildren's lunchboxes to the thinly sliced Yellowfin tuna known as maguro in Japanese sushi dishes, largely due to its relative affordability and concentrated nutritional value. Unlike the majority of oceanic fish consumed by mankind, the majority of tuna species possess muscle tissue that is tinged in pink and reddish hues, largely due to their red myotomal muscles containing increased amounts of the oxygen-binding molecule myoglobin (Sepulveda et al., 246).

2.) What is the nutritional significance of these foods?

6.) Are there any effects of the processing on the nutrient composition of the products?

Are nutrients added to these products? What ones and how?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of light tuna canned in oil is primarily composed of 0g carbohydrate, 8g fat, 29g protein, 60g water, along with an assortment of essential vitamins and nutrients, with Vitamin D (269 IU), phosphorous (311mg), and iron (1.4mg) concentrated most highly (2011). Tuna has traditionally been considered a favorite food of bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts due to its highly concentrated levels of muscle-building protein, relatively low fat content, and diverse selection of essential vitamins and nutrients. Research has also shown that many varieties of tuna are a rich source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to provide a number of observable improvement's to an individual's overall health and wellness. It is important to consider the company producing a particular can of tuna before purchase, however, because several studies have document evidence suggesting that certain processing and manufacturing methods can neutralize these omega-3 fatty acids before they can be consumed (Greenberg 2).

3.) Describe the production/growing/harvesting of these foods.

For centuries the fishermen of Asia, Europe, and America have steadily harvested millions of tons of tuna directly from the seas surrounding them, positioning tuna as one of the world's most important commercial fish. Due to the technological refinement of the processes used to catch tuna, including the perfection of the purse seiner net that envelopes entire schools of tuna in a single pass (Fonteneau, 7), the world's oceans soon began to experience a drastic reduction in tuna populations. The first tuna species to succumb to this rapid reduction in stock levels was the Atlantic Bluefin, which is the most highly prized commodity within the Japanese culinary culture, and today this enormous fish has been hunted to the point of critical endangerment. According to the recently released Stock Status Ratings -- 2012: Status of the World's Fisheries for Tuna, which was compiled by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), "there are 23 stocks of the major commercial tuna species worldwide (6 albacore, 4 bigeye, 4 blue-n, 5 skipjack and 4 yellow-n stocks) ... (and) globally, 52% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance, 39% are over-shed and 9% are at an intermediate level" (3). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has found that because "this species has been intensively fished since the early 1950s "estimated (that) spawning stock biomass has declined approximately 85% over the past 36 years (1973 -- 2009) and there is no sign that the spawning stock is rebuilding" (1). Today, the majority of canned tuna purchased by consumers is sourced from commercial "fish farms" and industrial fisheries that maintain enormous populations of captive tuna born and bred as a food source.

4.) by what methods are these products processed? Describe the methods. This description should include the conditions for holding of fresh foods, "minimally processed" methods, as well as more extensive methods of preservation, e.g. caning, freezing, drying, fermentation, concentration etc.

5.) for these foods what are the problems encountered during the processing of these foods and how are these products overcome? (e.g. milk when dried may be hard to rehydrate)