Seafood Safety Tips

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Fish is a great source of lean protein, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, and D, and low in sodium, saturated fat, and calories. Shellfish is rich in minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. If you’re eating fish, it may be helpful to become familiar with categories of species. With over thirty thousand species known, variety is definitely not an issue.

Fish are categorized into flatfish, roundfish, mollusks, and crustaceans. Flatfish, like, flounder and sole, have symmetrical compressed bodies and both eyes on top of their heads. Roundfish, like cod and grouper, on the other hand, have both eyes on the sides of their heads and swim in a vertical position. Mollusks, otherwise known as shellfish, have soft, unsegmented bodies with no internal skeleton and hard outer shells. Crustaceans, like crabs, have a hard outer shell and jointed appendages.

Cooking time for fish is generally shorter and flavors are much more delicate than meat or chicken. Fish can spoil easily though, so special attention should be taken when purchasing and storing it.

Follow these tips for a delicious, safe meal.

Scent

The scent of a fish is the easiest way to determine freshness. Fresh fish should not smell “fishy,” rather scent should resemble a “fresh from the sea” type of aroma or have no scent at all. Off odors indicate the fish is aged or has been improperly handled.

Appearance

Fish eyes should be clear, full, and bright. Sunken eyes are an indicator that the fish is getting old. Gills should be intact and red. Brown gills are a sign of aging. Fish should also appear moist and firm, without bruising or dark spots.

Texture

Fish should not be mushy. Look for firm, glistening flesh. Flesh should spring back when pressed with a finger.

Shells

Avoid mollusks with broken or heavy shells, as well as shells that are open. Fresh shellfish should be purchased live and should show movement. Shellfish can also be purchased frozen. Frozen shellfish should not be re-frozen if thawed.

Storage

Fresh fish should be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than two days. If you are not going to use the fish right away, freeze it.

 

Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a nationally known registered dietitian based in New York and the creator of a proprietary high-fiber nutrition program for weight loss, wellness and for treating various medical conditions. Tanya authored the bestselling weight loss book The F-Factor Diet, and she is the first dietitian with a national line of high-fiber foods, which are sold under the F-Factor name. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.

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This Week In Credit Card News: Banks Seeing Profits, Dodd-Frank Under Fire …

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More Credit Users Paying Bills on Time, Banks Seeing Profits

Default rates fell again in June and credit card companies are getting a boost to their bottom line. Bank of America, Chase and Discover showed significant improvement in defaults. Cardholders are also using their credit cards more. Citigroup said purchase volume rose 1.5 percent, Chase’s customers spent 10 percent more using their cards, and Discover sales volume rose 9 percent. [Associated Press]

When Your Doctor Sells Credit Cards

Credit card issuers are stepping up their marketing efforts on health-care cards and lines of credit that help borrowers finance costly elective medical procedures. The cards are targeted to clients of plastic surgeons, dentists and even veterinarians. These cards can help some people pay for needed procedures but they also come with some costs that may not be clear at sign-up. Many cards have zero percent introductory rates, but rates can quickly spike. Citigroup Inc. offers the Citi Health Card, while Chase has ChaseHealthAdvance, a line of credit aimed at helping customers finance elective health procedures such as corrective eye surgery. Providers like these cards because they can drive up business by allowing customers to finance expensive procedures. Cards also make it easier to get payments from patients. But for some patients, the cards can lead to medical billing problems. Medical providers may also charge patients for the full cost of a procedure at the first visit, even before multistage medical work is completed. If patients are dissatisfied with their care, it is difficult to dispute since they already have been charged for it. [Wall Street Journal]

Credit Card Issuers Paid Over $73 Million to Universities and Institutions in 2010

The number of credit cards issued to college students and alumni associations in 2010 dropped 17 percent while the revenue that schools receive from the card issuers declined 13 percent. These are the results of a study released last week by the Federal Reserve. It shows the effects of one of the provisions of the CARD Act where credit card issuers are required to submit copies of all college credit card agreements. Issuers must also include the number of credit card accounts opened pursuant to the agreement, the amount of payments made by the issuer to the institution or organization during the year, and the number of new college credit card accounts that were opened during the year. Fewer cards mean smaller payments to colleges. Issuers paid $73.2 million to college institutions or college organizations in 2010. This represented a decrease of $11.2 million or 13 percent versus year ago levels. [LowCards.com]

Dodd-Frank Under Fire a Year Later

In the year since the passage of regulations to overhaul the financial regulatory system, there remain signs that the tightened regulatory measures could still be undone. Two dozen bills in Congress seek to dismantle parts of the Dodd-Frank Act, and Business groups have argued that too many new regulations could snuff out the start of an economic recovery. Lawmakers have taken aim at agencies for budget cuts.
[New York Times]

Most Dodd-Frank Changes Still To Come

A year after the passage of sweeping financial reform, the vast majority of changes–including structural alterations to big bank business models–are yet to come. According to a study by the international law firm of Davis Polk, as of July 1, regulators have completed only about 12 percent of the 400 rule-making requirements in Dodd-Frank. In addition, 122 deadlines set in the statue for adopting key bank reform regulations and issuing studies have been missed. [MarketWatch]

Obama Picks Former Ohio Attorney General For Post

President Barack Obama nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which opened Thursday amid continuing political fights about its scope. Elizabeth Warren developed the idea for the new agency and was appointed by Obama last fall to set it up but was not nominated to the post. Warren is a Harvard professor and will return to Harvard in the fall, according to a person briefed on her plans. [Bloomberg]

Visa, MasterCard Win Approval of Settlement in Anti-Steering Case

A federal judge has approved a settlement of alleged antitrust violations by Visa and MasterCard over rules they had in place preventing merchants from steering customers to lower-cost payment options. Under the settlement, Visa and MasterCard would allow merchants to offer discounts if they use alternate forms of payment, including other credit cards with lower merchant fees. In reaching the deal, Visa and
MasterCard didn’t admit or deny the allegations, according to court papers. The settlement is with the U.S. government, as well as 17 states. [Wall Street Journal]

More Airline Credit Cards Introduced

If you are planning to book airline tickets, this is a good time to check out airline credit card offers. Competition continues to increase, and credit card issuers are using bonus miles and perks to attract new cardholders. Consumers can get free tickets, free checked bags, and free passes into the airport lounge. The current airline rewards are the hottest thing in the credit card industry in a long time. Two new offers came out this week that will increase competition to an already heavily contested category. These offers can be an easy way to get a little extra for using a credit card, but you have to do your homework to find the best offer for your personal spending habits and travel needs. The annual fee and interest rates vary for these cards. If you get the wrong card, you can pay too much for rewards that you may not use. [LowCards.com]

AmEx and FaceBook Team Up on Deals

Cardholders who link their account through a special app on AmEx’s FaceBook page will receive discounts and special offers based on their listed interests and “Likes,” as well as the interests and “Likes” of their FaceBook friends. Users of the new service load deals into their AmEx account by hitting an online button, and then get the rewards when they swipe their card at purchase. [USA Today]

LowCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report

Based on the 1000+ cards in the LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index, the average advertised APR for credit cards is 14.08%, slightly below last week’s average of 14.11%. Six months ago, the average was 13.76%. One year ago, the average was 13.68%. [LowCards.com]

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