Is frozen tuna just as good as fresh?

“Fresh” tuna isn’t always as fresh as you might think. The next time you’re at the fish counter, consider this: the seafood in the display case being sold as fresh could be almost two weeks old due to transport, distribution, and processing times. So, although it’s technically considered “fresh” because it’s never been frozen, it isn’t exactly straight off the line.

The longer time spent between harvest and purchase, the more time bacteria has had to grow on it. By freezing fish immediately, bacteria can’t grow.

Once harvested, the team at Dinko portions the tuna and begins the super freezing process. Like the ‘snap-freezing’ process, the cryogenic freezing system takes approximately 45 minutes for fresh fish to completely freeze.

Importantly, the fish are frozen within hours of harvest, using super-freezing (-60 degrees Celsius) technology. This unique process freezes the inside and outside of the water cells in the fish simultaneously, unlike regular freezing, which moves from the outside to the inside of the cell. Not only does this freezing method preserve the integrity of the meat from a texture, taste, and nutritional standpoint, but it also eliminates the need for nasty heavy chemicals, such as CO2 gases, to preserve the fish. By minimising cell damage, this process maintains the culinary integrity, with the tuna retaining its perfect texture, colour and flavour, so consumers can enjoy the famed delicacy all year round.