Introduction:
Eating different kinds of wild caught fish can be tremendously favorable and effective to your health. Some seafoods are the source of different nutrients like serve as muscle building protein foods and some even are the sufficient source of healthy fats like omega-3s. But buying the fish frequently have bulky price tag which is why the people move to go for more reasonable options like swai fish instead. Many people wants to get swai fish due to its lower cost, but there are various issues with this fish that you definitely need to know about.
What Is Swai Fish?
Swai fish is a type of white fish with a soft flavor and blistering texture. It is a freshwater fish that is native to Vietnamese rivers and a type of catfish. It is also known as Vietnamese catfish, basa fish and iridescent shark. But actualy it is neither a basa nor a type of shark.
Nutrition Facts:
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one 4 ounce piece of Swai fish contains different amounts of nutrients described below:
- 1.5 grams fat
- 15 grams protein
- 70 calories
- 45 milligrams cholesterol
- 350 milligrams sodium (varies)
But the ingredients you use to cook and coat Swai boneless steaks will change the nutrition content and typically adding more fats, carbohydrates and sodium.
Is Swai Fish Safe to Eat?
The simple answer to this question is big no. This is not because of the nutritional content, but because of the way Swai is typically raised and fed. The main reasons to never eat swai fish are including:
- The dirty water environment
- The use of antibiotics to treat sick fish
- The constant use of mislabeling of Swai
- The presence of hazardous microbes
- Lax Inspection Rules and Health Violations
Because Swai fish is not officially considered as catfish it is not subject to the same tough inspection rules as other imported catfish. That is a problem because antibiotics that are banned in the U.S. are frequently found in fish products from Vietnam also having bacteria like E. coli. While swai fish still has to meet check up requirements, doubts are there among the U.S. catfish industry that issues like polluted water are being deal with Asia. Read more about Can You Freeze Mushrooms.
Factory Farmed Fish:
The main and big problem with Swai fish is the fact that it is factory farmed. As similar to factory farmed meats, when fish are mass produced out of the wild, there are consequences. For beginners, factory farmed fish are worried. They do not take pleasure in being in small, tight spaces, even the goldfish hates it. When these fish become unhappy and bothered, they are more prone to disease. Whereas a large amounts of small fish are being drawn out of the water to feed the farmed fish, wild populations have less to eat, perpetuating an ugly, fishy cycle.
Fish Mislabeling and Fraud:
Swai is low cost fish that is why some people want to buy it but it is frequently mislabeled and sold as more expensive fish like catfish, sole, grouper and etc.
