WE are in the middle of observing Lent, and seafood merchants and fishermen are smiling. Churches and schools are having fish fries as fund-raisers. Fastfood outlets are advertising fish meals more than at any other time of the year. The reason?

It is that time of year when Christians park meat and choose fish instead. This is a religious tradition observed during the 40 days before Easter, an important period of the year for many individuals.

There are many stories attached to this tradition, but essentially, meat is omitted from the diet because, in ancient days, it was considered a food for the upper class and Lent was considered by early Christians as a time to eat as poor people would.

According to the writings of St Thomas Aquinas, meat tastes too good and is too much of an aphrodisiac to consume while you’re supposed to be fasting, and Lent is supposed to be a time of abstention.

Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologica: “Wherefore the Church forbade those who fast to partake of those foods which both afford most pleasure to the palate, and besides are a very great incentive to lust. Such are the flesh of animals that take their rest on the Earth.”

Take note of the fact that the period before Lent is a period of celebration in carnival throughout most Catholic countries. The word carnival is said to come from the Latin expression “carne levare”, which means “remove meat”. The word may also be translated as “farewell to the flesh”, a phrase embraced by certain carnival celebrants as a time to be carefree and “let go” before the advent of Lent.

Because Lent was a period of fasting, carnival represented a last period of feasting and celebration before the spiritual rigours of Lent.

During the 40 days of Lent preceding Easter, some Jamaicans give up things like drinking alcohol and eating red meat. They eat fish instead, especially on Good Friday, though some of the more devout will quit meat every Friday in Lent.

For whatever reason people abstain from eating or drinking certain things at this time, we can thank those who introduced the period of year when much fish is consumed because, hands down, a diet containing fish is very good for us.

Besides being delicious in many ways, whether steamed or fried and smothered with onions and peppers, fish is high-protein and low-fat food, providing a range of health benefits.

White-fleshed fish, in particular, are lower in fat than any other source of animal protein, and oily fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardine are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or the “good” fats.

Since the human body can’t make significant amounts of these essential nutrients, fish can be an important part of the diet.

Fish have a very heart-healthy reputation, and for good reason. Several authorities on matters of health attest to the value of fish in the diet. Among other benefits, a diet of fish lowers the risk of heart disease because of a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids which can help protect your heart and stave off chronic disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial for eye health, because the brain and eyes are heavily concentrated in these factors and need them to maintain their health and function. They are abundant in the cell membranes of brain cells, preserving cell membrane health and facilitating communication between brain cells critical for normal brain function; they are therefore vital for the maintenance of normal brain function throughout life.

And there is even more evidence which points to omega-3 fatty acids as having several health benefits. They:

• Help maintain cardiovascular health by playing a role in the regulation of blood clotting and vessel constriction;

• Are important for prenatal and postnatal neurological development;

• May reduce tissue inflammation and temper the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis;

• May play a beneficial role in cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), reducing depression and halting mental decline in older people.

Fish are also a great source of protein to keep your body lean and muscles strong. But eating fish doesn’t only impact your waistline, the benefits also extend to other functions of the body, including your liver and brain.

With fish, you are guaranteed a good supply of vitamin D, useful for calcium absorption and essential for bone health and growth.

So whenever you visit your favourite spot to eat fish, think about the added bonus of a good night’s sleep.

Benefits of eating fish

Research has shown efficacy in managing such health issues as:

• Reduction of premenstrual symptoms in women;

• Breaking down triglycerides and fatty acids in the liver, thus lowering the risk of fatty liver disease;

• Lowering the risk of digestive cancers, such as oral cavity, pharynx, colon and pancreatic cancers;

• Boosting exercise metabolic rates, as well as fat oxidation, in older women; and

• Lowering blood pressure due to its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.

While fish and shellfish are important parts of a healthful diet and can contribute to heart health and children’s growth and development, when you go shopping, whether it is for whole fish, fish steaks or other seafood such as shrimps, lobster, conch, and scallops, you should make sure that what you are buying is fresh.

Fish and freshness

Only buy fish or seafood that is refrigerated or displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice (preferably in a case or under some type of cover). Shrimp, scallop and lobster flesh should be clear with a pearl-like colour and little or no odour.

Because the colour of a fish can be affected by several factors, including diet, environment or packaging processes, you can’t tell if fish is fresh simply by looking at the colour. Fresh fish should have a mild scent and moist flesh. Don’t purchase fish that have a strong, fishy smell.

Whole fish should have bright, bulging eyes. As the fish loses freshness, the eyes become cloudy and sunken. Check the gills. They should be bright red or pink. Avoid fish with dull-coloured gills that are grey or brown.

The flesh should be firm and should spring back when pressed gently with the finger. If the fish is stale, the flesh becomes soft and stays depressed when you poke it with your finger. Check the scales also. The skin of a fresh, whole fish should be shiny with scales that adhere tightly. As a rule, colours and markings start to fade as soon as a fish leaves the water, but the skin should still have a bright, shiny appearance.

Frozen fish should meet the fresh-smell test and have taut packaging with no evidence of ice or blood.

Fresh fish is best used right away. Or, you can store it for up to two days in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Frozen fish will keep in its original wrapping, frozen at 0 degrees or lower, for up to three months.

If you’re shopping for fillets, they should have firm, elastic flesh and a fresh-cut, moist appearance, with no browning around the edges. The flesh should be clear and almost translucent. Pre-packaged fillets should contain very little liquid, as fillets stored in liquid tend to deteriorate quickly.

Food safety

So while you enjoy seafood during Lent, bear in mind that just like other perishable foods, there are potential risks that can be associated with bacterial or viral contamination, naturally occurring toxins, and chemical contaminants.

All raw foods contain bacteria, and both spoilage bacteria and “food poisoning” bacteria can grow and multiply rapidly if food is left for several hours at room temperature.

Pathogens are the primary food safety concern with regard to seafood. Some types of fish may also contain naturally occurring parasites.

It is important to buy and handle seafood in a manner that reduces the risk of food-borne illness, often called “food poisoning”. The following tips can help you when making purchasing decisions:

• Live crabs and lobsters should show some leg movement. They spoil rapidly after death;

• Don’t buy frozen seafood if the package is open, torn or crushed on the edges;

• Avoid packages with signs of frost or ice crystals, which may mean the fish has been stored a long time or thawed and refrozen;

• Put seafood on ice or in the refrigerator or freezer soon after buying it;

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water after handling any raw food;

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with soap and hot water between the preparations of raw seafood.

For added protection, kitchen sanitisers can be used on cutting boards and counter tops after use, or use a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

Technological Solutions Limited has been assisting seafood processing companies in the Caribbean achieve HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification.

HACCP is a management system administered by the Food and Drug Administration, in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling through to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

Dr Wendy-Gaye Thomas, MD, is group technical manager, Technological Solutions Limited, a Jamaican food technology company. Email her at: wendy.thomas@tsltech.com.