What to consider when buying and cooking

Many Argentines raise the consumption of fishing products during Holy Week and Senasa gave a series of points to take into account

04/16/2025 – 09: 59hs

As Holy Week approaches, a culinary tradition rooted in the Argentine culture takes on special prominence: The consumption of fish and shellfish. During these days, fishmongers become meeting points and recipes with sea fruits flood family tables. Aware of this increase in demand, the National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (Senasa) has issued a series of essential recommendations for people to acquire and safely eat those foods, They have high protein content and a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and healthy fatty acids.

To begin with, Senasa provided general considerations about Pescaderías and businesses where these products are sold, highlighting that the cleaning of the business must The place should not have unpleasant odorsnor the fresh “smell” fish, which would be an indication that it has initiated its decomposition process. Finally, whole fish should not be very close together nor piled up.

What is important to consider when buying and cooking fresh fish

The outstanding considerations shared by Senasa are:

• Skin appearance: colors must be alive, turned and without discoloration. That is, they should not be turned off or without brightness.
• Eyes: They must be outstanding, bright and with the black pupil. They should not be sunk, gray or viscous.
• Meat: It must be firm, translucent and smooth surface. That is, neither flaccid, nor opaque or rough.
• The guts must be red (gray and green -black guts are signs of deterioration).
• The spine must be firmly adhered to the muscles; If you try to separate from them, you should break.
• The blood must be red and bright (if the fish is not fresh, the color becomes brown brown).

KEYS FOR THE PURCHASE AND COOKING OF MARISCOS

About these fishing products, Senasa indicates that:

• Minor crustaceans, such as shrimp and prawns, can present a mooring-violent translucent color if they are raw or intense red when they are sold cooked; In no case must present black spots, unpleasant smell or detachment between head and trunksince all these are signs of deterioration.
• Squids must have smooth, soft and humid skin without blood stains or strange to the species, their eyes must be living, bright and outgoing and its consistent and elastic muscles.
• If ichtholic products preserved in can are acquired, it is important to observe that these Packaging do not present abolish, they are not swollen, or oxidized. Likewise, the origin and expiration must be checked in the label.

Fish and shellfish: importance of the cold chain, how to keep them and if you can freeze

The last tips in this regard have to do with what happens with the products once they are bought. Senasa indicates that “to guarantee the safety of these foods it is important to take into account The cold chain When moving these products to the home and, once in the private refrigerator, the best way to keep them is in closed containers and locate them on the lowest shelves available. “

Besides, “Do not defrost and freeze fish and shellfish again; they should not be preserved more than 2 days in the coldest part of the refrigerator (0 ° C to 4 ° C) or 3 months in Frieza (-18 ° C), and should not be defrosted at room temperature. Its cooking, meanwhile, must be complete and once prepared they must be consumed as soon as possible. “

What is Senasa and what is responsible for

The Senasa, whose name arises from the acronym of the National Service of Agrifood Health and Quality, verifies the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the establishments where they are slaughtered, elaborate and industrialize products derived from fishing and aquaculture, while performing regular technical analyzes to rule and avoid potential risk in consumers.