The ‘fresh’ supermarket f ish that’s NINE days old

(That’s according to stores’ rival frozen food specialist Iceland)

‘FRESH’ fish on supermarket counters is likely to be up to nine days old and have previously been frozen, it is claimed.

Most shoppers assume that the array of cod, bass, salmon, tuna and trout have very recently been caught.

However, they are said to be considerably older and may well deteriorate quickly, becoming smelly and unappealing, once people get them home.

Questions about the freshness of fish sold by mainstream supermarkets have been raised by the rival frozen food specialist Iceland. It says the fresh fish sold in supermarkets ‘is likely to have previously been frozen’.

The company claims independent tests show frozen is less likely to deteriorate than what appears to be ‘fresh’, because it has not been frozen and then thawed to sit on a counter before being taken home for dinner. Iceland said: ‘Take seabass, for example. Once it’s been caught, landed, sorted and transported it can take up to nine days to get to the shops.

‘However, if it’s frozen within hours of leaving the sea, and kept that way until you buy it, the goodness is locked in.’

Research by the chain found that 60 per cent of people were unaware that the fresh fish sold in supermarkets is likely to have previously been frozen. It said 58 per cent of people felt deceived and would change the way they shop.

Iceland commissioned Premier Analytical Services to assess the quality and freshness of fish sold by Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s versus its frozen equivalent.

The lab tested four popular counter varieties – seabass, tuna, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon – both immediately and again after 22 hours. The fresh fish sold by rival stores showed evidence of deterioration in both sets of tests.

By contrast, the samples from Iceland, which were thawed before testing, either had no deterioration, or a slight deterioration in the case of the trout.

The researchers said seabass from Tesco developed a pungent, ammonia-type odour in the first 22 hours after purchase, while Iceland’s frozen seabass remained fresh after defrosting.

Fresh salmon from Tesco and Sainsbury’s showed deterioration, while the frozen fish, once thawed, showed the least.

Food Standards Agency guidelines say fish may be labelled as fresh if it has ‘been kept chilled on ice, but not stored deep frozen’. Yet these are only guidelines.

Once caught, fresh fish is kept on ice as it goes through the supply chain. Different species have different shelf lives and monitoring the age of fish on sale is left to supermarkets.

A previous Mail investigation sampled supermarket fish using an industry-standard test. It found fish on sale that was 16 days old – with three days left on its use-by date.

As for fish on the fresh counter that was previously frozen but is sold in a thawed state, supermarkets must now make this clear on labelling.

Tesco said: ‘We’re proud to offer our customers a wide range of quality frozen and fresh fish, in our aisles and at the fish counter.’

The Marine Stewardship Council, which sets ethical standards for retailers, has awarded Tesco the Fish Counter of the Year award for the past four years. Sainsbury’s and Asda did not respond to a request for a comment yesterday.

‘Takes time to get to the shops’