Justin Hasselman writes: > To save money, I buy the canned salmon at the store. The ingredients > are salmon and salt (lots of salt, I can taste it). Should I be > concerned about parasites and bacteria with canned salmon? Trish writes: > Good question, I buy canned salmon, tuna, clams, and occasionally > shrimp, and sardines. The salmon I cook into patties, clams i toss into > soups and everything else I add to salads........... In theory there should be no concern about parasites and bacteria in canned fish products from reputable canneries because the fish is cooked at the cannery after it is sealed in the can. Here is more than you ever wanted to know about the subject of fish canning, according to the web site of the "Chicken of the Sea" company at http://www.chickenofthesea.com === Fish Receiving Fish are delivered to processing facilities on ice or in refrigerated brine. Quality evaluations are performed during unloading which include monitoring the temperature and condition of the fish and conducting sensory evaluations. Fish found unacceptable are rejected. Fish are sorted by species and size. Cold Storage Fish are either processed immediately or held iced or refrigerated until ready for processing. Butchering During the butchering operation, the head, tails, fins, eggs and viscera are removed. All fish are thoroughly washed. Each fish is evaluated by trained staff for physical characteristics associated with decomposition or contamination, and any found unacceptable is rejected. Can Filling Cleaned salmon are fed into filling machines where prescribed amounts of fish are placed into cans. Via a separate system, empty cans are conveyed to filling machines after having been inverted and flushed with air jets and/or water sprays. Ingredient Addition Cans are conveyed past points where prescribed amounts of salt (as needed) are added. Can Sealing Filled cans are conveyed to sealing machines where lids are put in place and the cans hermetically sealed. Each can or lid is affixed with a permanent production code that identifies plant, product, date packed, and other pertinent information. The integrity of the hermetic seal is evaluated at frequent intervals during processing to ensure product safety. Thermal Processing Sealed cans are retorted (cooked) under pressure utilizing process time and temperature schedules designed by processing experts to render the product commercially sterile. All aspects of thermal processing are strictly monitored and controlled. Finished Product Evaluation Samples of each finished production code receive qualitative (e.g., color, odor, flavor, texture and workmanship) and quantitative evaluations prior to being released for labeling. Labeling & Casing Product lots meeting finished product evaluation criteria are delivered to labeling lines where they are labeled and cased. Cased products are appropriately marked with information necessary to facilitate product tracing. Warehousing & Shipping Cased products are shipped or are staged in warehouses for later shipment.