National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month – a time to celebrate the ocean and its vast abundance of resources that nourish millions of people around the world.

Seafood has played an enormous role in food consumption for thousands of years and continues to do so each day. In fact, according to the National Aquarium, a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures, seafood feeds about 1 billion people worldwide per day as their primary source of animal protein.

While the benefits of consuming seafood are significant and typically well-known, many people don’t realize that the nutritional value in seafood is fully sustained in metal cans – more so than in any other packaging format. Industry data shows that canned fish effectively retains its nutritional value, making it comparable to freshly cooked seafood. To be more specific, 100% of protein is preserved during the canning process, and several canned fish varieties actually have higher calcium levels than their freshly cooked counterparts.

Metal packaging’s hermetic seal and barrier properties also offer 100% protection against oxygen, light, moisture and other contaminants, further locking in nutritional value and product protection. In addition, canning provides a vessel for other nutrients to enhance the protein; for example, canned salmon is often packaged in its own oil and thus, additional omega-3 fatty acids are absorbed into the food.

So the next time you open a can of seafood, remember that you’re on your way to reaping the nutritional benefits. Learn more about our aluminum food cans.