Recent analyzes would demonstrate the presence of harmful and carcinogenic substances inside the fish sticks, that’s how things really are.
We are all familiar with i fish stickswithout doubt the stratagem most used by Italian parents to make their children consume fish. However, in recent years scientific analyzes have shown that in these beloved foods there may be some potentially problematic substances, including the glycidol and other preservatives.
As known, fish sticks are “transformed” food products, which contain a variable percentage of fish, generally cod or salmon, covered with a breading. According to a recent analysis conducted by the Swiss magazine Bon à Savoirwhich examined 15 packs of sticks purchased at the supermarket, the amount of fish detected in the samples is between 65% and 68.2% of the total product. And this is good news actually, because it represents an improvement compared to the past, when the percentage stood between 55% and 62%.
The remaining part of the product is mainly made up of breading, which includes ingredients such as wheat flour, water, rapeseed oil, potato starch, sugar, salt and various additives. The breading, in addition to contributing to the taste and consistency that make the product so unique, is obtained through a process of industrial pre-finals, and it is here that dangerous substances are formed.
Glycidol and risks of fish sticks
One of the main concern points that emerged from the recent analyzes is the presence of glycidol in fish sticks. Glycidol is a chemical that can form during the production and processing of vegetable oils and fats, in particular when these are subjected to high temperatures during processes such as frying.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), there is sufficient evidence to classify glycidol as “genotoxic and carcinogenic substance». Hello Knutsen, president of the group of EFSA scientific experts on contaminants in the food chain, said that, given this classification, it was not possible to define a level of safety for this substance.
It is important to underline that glycidol is not intentionally added to food products, but is formed as a by -product during specific processing processes. In the case of fish sticks, the formation takes place mainly during the industrial pre-default of breaded fish blocks, which are fried at high temperatures for about 30 seconds.
In other words, fish sticks are not “carcinogenic”, but they can contain a substance inside them which, if consumed excessively, could in the long run increase the risk of cancer. In short, the important thing is not to eat fish sticks several times a week for years and years, perhaps without even consuming other types of fish. The variety in the diet, as always, is the way to follow.
Also another analysis, conducted in 2023 by the German monthly Oekotest Out of 19 brands of fish sticks, he detected in 11 out of 19 cases the presence of foreign acids 3-mcpd. These substances are also potentially toxic, linked to the high temperature processing of vegetable oils and fats. As in the case of glycidol, even here the levels found are not such as to constitute an immediate risk for health.
Recommendations for consumption
Based on the evidence available, there are some simple practical recommendations for the consumption of fish sticks. First of all have a certain moderation in the frequency. For example, limiting the consumption of fish sticks two or three times a month, keeping it inside a various and balanced food style. The important thing is that they do not become a daily habit.
It would then be preferable to consume fish in a more natural form, whether fresh or frozen, without breading or other additions (a tear to the rule will certainly not make us die, however attention also to the labels, when you buy fish sticks (but not only), it is always a good habit to check the labels and choose products with less fat, sugars and salt.
A final trick: opt for larger sticks. It may seem trivial, but larger sticks tend to have a much higher proportion of fish than the smaller ones, but, as we have seen, it is precisely in the breading that the attentive substances are formed.
