Edible coating makes fish filets longer-lasting, healthier page

[SerialSinner]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/osu-ecm071609.php


"The liquid coating contained chitosan, which comes from crustacean shells and can be made into film for food wrapping to keep out bacteria and fungi and prolong storage life. What's unusual about the OSU study is that fish oil was added to the chitosan coating, which wasn't visible once it dried. After the coating was applied, some fillets were refrigerated for three weeks while others were frozen for three months.


The study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Food Chemistry and has been published on its Web site, found that the coating tripled the omega-3 fatty acids in the refrigerated and frozen fish when compared against the uncoated fish."

[OnTheBayou]

Is the coating removed or used during cooking? There could be a conflict with the chitosan absorbing some of the fats, including the Omega 3's.


My research shows that a gram of chitosan - which is quite a bit volumetrically - will remove 4-5 grams of fat. That's not marketing hype, but scientific testing.

[SerialSinner]

Thats true, look what Wikipedia says about chitosan:


"Chitosan is frequently sold in tablet form at health stores as a 'fat attractor': It is supposed to have the capability of attracting fat from the digestive system and expelling it from the body so that users can, it is claimed, lose weight without eating less."


If they saturate the chitosan with O-3's, there might not be issues with losing fat from other dietary components. What worries me though, is the effects of dietary lipids in the colon:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9145451


I also worry about the loss of liposoluble vitamins produced in the colon such as K.

[OnTheBayou]

I just don't worry about the unlikely, SS.


I'm using chitosan with most of my meals, but not all. I'm taking my fish oil and multi-vites hours after any chito.


Like the starch blockers, I have done extensive research to get past the BS, hype, and misunderstandings. Too many folks think that they pop a couple of capsules and the fat falls off. As noted, chitosan takes only 4-5 grams of fat out per gram used, so for a fatty meal you won't even get close unless you really use a lot.


Now I'm thinking of marketing a BBQ sauce that uses chito to thicken it, then when it's it the gut, it absorbs the fat. Ha ha ha......

[SerialSinner]

I also worry about floating fatty stools in the middle if the atlantic and their impact in tuna populations.

[SassaFrass88]

OTB, I'm starting to think that you are secretly against fat. Are you Paleo and not Primal?


Just conjecturing after seeing your response to thinking that someone won't lose weight by eating 3 - 4 avocados a week and by the fact that you are even taking Chitosan...

[OnTheBayou]

The avocado comment was intended as humor; sorry if that didn't convey.


I'm running about 65-25-10 fats, protein, carbs, so it's nothing against fat, per se.


The chitosan is for trying to keep my calories down during this weight loss phase. Every bit helps.