Sealord is owned jointly by Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd (AFL) and Japanese Seafood company Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui).

See this link for more details.

Most canned tuna products are made from either Skipjack or Yellowfin tuna.

What are the health benefits from eating fish and seafood?

Seafood is a good source of high quality protein, contains various vitamins and minerals and is low in saturated fats.

Seafood also contains an important fatty acid group known as Omega 3 fatty acids or DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).  Omega 3 is essential to our body. It is required for the normal development and function of the brain and assists us to stay healthy.  A number of other health benefits are also associated with Omega 3.

To find out more about Seafood for Health have a look at this site:

www.seafood.co.nz/doclibrary/publications/Seafood_For_Health_brochure_2003.pdf

What are the benefits of eating any seafood product that is canned, frozen or chilled?

Canned products are one of the safest food products that you can eat.  They are convenient and can be eaten straight away.

Most frozen seafood products have a shelf life of 12 to 18 months and are marked with best before dates that clearly indicate the end of their optimum shelf life.  Some Sealord products are frozen at sea to ensure optimum quality.

Chilled products such as marinated mussels have a special marinade, which aids preservation.  This ensures that the products can last up until the best before date if kept under the right refrigeration conditions of 4 degrees Celsius.  Chilled seafood is convenient and can be eaten straight away.  

Sealord is committed to protecting dolphins and our product is dolphin friendly.  Sealord purchases canned tuna directly from suppliers that are certified and monitored by the Earth Island Institute (the non-profit, non-Governmental conservation organisation that founded the dolphin safe standards in 1990).

For more information about the dolphin safe label and the Earth Island Institute see http://www.earthisland.org/immp/

Sealord has a GM policy.  Sealord will avoid the use of all genetically modified materials in its product range.  We work with our suppliers so that only ingredients declared as non-GM are used in our products.

I am allergic to certain types of food, what can you tell me about allergens in Sealord products?

Under NZFSA Regulations, ingredients are listed on all products.

Sealord has an Allergen program in place to prevent cross contamination of allergen ingredients used.

An easy way to find out which products are allergen free is to refer to the Manufactured Foods Database on their website:

www.mfd.co.nz

The Database lists safe foods that are free from the following:

Egg, Gluten, Soya, Milk/Lactose, Peanut, Legume and Wheat

To find out more about food allergies you can also refer to Allergy New Zealand on their website:

http://www.allergy.org.nz/

Anything with bread crumbs (most frozen coated products) and soy sauce contain wheat which means they contain gluten.

•   If a product contains gluten or any allergen, Sealord is legally obliged to state that on the labels.

Canned goods have a long shelf life and are one of the safest products you can eat.  Canned product goes through a high temperature, high pressure cooking process.  As long as a can is not punctured or damaged, it can safely last for several years.  However, once cans are opened, the unused contents should be stored in a sealed container, refrigerated and eaten within 3 days.

Frozen products generally have a best before date on each packet.  They last- between 12 to 18 months if stored under ideal domestic storage conditions, which is at temperatures between –15 to –18 degrees Celsius.

Yes.  In general it is safe to consume 2-3 servings of any type of tuna per week.  The smaller species of tuna generally used for canning has lower levels of mercury than other larger species of tuna.  FSANZ has calculated it is safe for all population groups to consume a snack can of tuna (95grams) everyday, assuming no other fish is eaten.

We are pleased to confirm that our salmon and tuna are caught in the wild.  We can also confirm salmon and tuna are routinely checked for contaminants including mercury levels.  We test our canned products annually for mercury and they easily meet the New Zealand Australia food standard codes.  

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand also advise there is no reason for the general public to be concerned about the safety of fish available in the Australian and New Zealand markets. The level of mercury in most fish species is low and when a variety of fish are consumed as part of a balanced diet the intake of methyl mercury is small and should not be a cause for concern. While mercury can accumulate in the body over time, it is also readily excreted and, therefore, health problems can only occur following relatively high level exposure over an extended period - for the vast majority of the population, this is an unlikely scenario.

Is the salmon found in your canned salmon wild or farmed?

We are proud to say the salmon used in our canned products are caught in the wild and are not farmed.  This is the same for our tuna and mackerel products.

• Salmon is caught in the North East Pacific off the coast of Canada and Alaska.
• Tuna is caught mostly in the Western Pacific ocean but can be caught in the Indian ocean as well.

I am a homesick Kiwi, where can I buy Smoked Fish Fillets?

You can purchase some Sealord products through

www.shopenzed.co.nz

Why are there bones in a can of salmon?

When you open a can of Salmon for the first time don't be alarmed if you see salmon bones in the can.  Canned salmon is pressure cooked so the bones become soft and are easy to eat and digest.  They are a good source of calcium.  The size and number of bones in each can will vary depending on the size of the fish.