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Are tinned sardines deep-fried?

Cocosilk

Cocosilk

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This might seem like a silly question but I was just reading this article https://thepaleodiet.com/fresh-sardines-canned-sardines/

and learned that canned sardines (in the USA at least) are sometimes deep-fried before they are canned and then put into brine (or oil or sauce, etc.) and that deep frying them in vegetable oil oxidises the cholesterol in them, which makes them not as healthy as we might think...

Has anyone looked into this?

I've been eating SAFCOL Brisling Sardines in Brine (made in Poland / caught in the Baltic & European Oceans) and assumed they would be steamed and not deep fried, but I had no idea any tinned sardines had been deep fried, so now I am curious about the ones I eat.
 
Do you think that the list of ingredients would contain the fat that they were fried in ?
Carol
 
I must admit always thought they were Steam cooked. The ones i buy (Just Supermarket own brand) i would be very surprised if they were fried. You cant really fry a fish and put it in brine without it having any noticeable change of color.

Also i checked the ingredients and:

INGREDIENTS: Sardines (Fish), Water, Salt.

Even the ones packed in olive oil - this was John West:

Sardines, Olive Oil, Salt

I cant imagine they have been deep fried in olive oil and because there would be oil in and on the fish before packing it would have to be listed as an ingredient.

I can imagine if you buy branded products made else where you might risk it, but i would guess your pretty safe sticking to UK supermarket or market leading brands as they will likely all be made in the same factory by the same method.
 
Tipetoo said:
I was under impression that they were cooked in the cans...
Click to expand...

I emailed Safcol and the person who replied said they are steamed. It would make sense that they are cooked in their cans though. As long as they aren't using low quality vegetable oils in the process we should be fine.
 
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