The caviar is fake. Red caviar: how to check if it's fake or real. Who determines what quality caviar should be

Heading: "A note to the buyer" - How to distinguish real red caviar from a fake? Unfortunately, cases of substitution of natural caviar for artificial ones are not uncommon. The latter is made from proteins: milk, eggs, gelatin. The color and taste of such "caviar" is created with the help of various dyes, flavors with the smell of fish, food additives. It is important to read the labels on the packaging very carefully. Also, do not delude yourself with an inexpensive price - a real red game cannot be cheap! Especially on the eve of the holidays, when prices for all food products traditionally reach a peak. Sometimes caviar producers can interfere with natural caviar with artificial caviar. In this case, it is almost impossible to distinguish it in appearance. If you have already purchased caviar and doubt its naturalness, we bring to your attention several criteria for evaluating the "real" caviar. What should we pay attention to when choosing red caviar? Real and artificial caviar are very similar in appearance. Both those and those eggs have a similar color, only through the shell of real eggs you can see "eyes" - small dots, and they burst at the slightest pressure. The shell of artificial caviar is difficult to burst and has a more rigid structure. Good red caviar is whole, crumbly, has no plaque and mucus, blood clots and film. It is characterized by a moderate fishy smell. If the caviar smells of rancid fat or vegetable oil There's a good chance it's fake. To check for sure, dip a few eggs in boiling water - the "fakes" will completely dissolve in it. Now let's talk about how to choose fresh, high-quality and delicious red caviar? Variation in prices of red caviar. Cheap or expensive? It may seem to many that it is better to choose a more expensive option, and then the purchase will surely be successful. Unfortunately, this is not always the case - a high price does not guarantee excellent quality at all. But you should not choose the cheapest caviar. And here's why. At the exit of fish into the sea, caviar is about 3% of the weight of the fish, in the lower reaches of the rivers - about 5%, and already close to spawning grounds - 10-12%. Poachers are usually looking for easier prey. Accordingly, with industrial fishing, the yield of the final product is 2-3 times less than with poaching. And, therefore, the product of the latter will be cheaper in retail. If the price is not an indicator, then the choice must be guided by several other criteria. Which caviar is better to buy: in a jar or by weight? It would seem that buying caviar by weight is easier, and often more economical. But knowledgeable people do not recommend rushing to conclusions. Often, under the guise of fresh caviar, they sell an expired product and overloaded with preservatives. If the necessary standards of sanitation are not observed, various microbes can get into the caviar. And that means there is a health risk. According to some reports, sometimes wise sellers add sparkling water to battered red caviar, and even detergents! Yes, they can’t go to any lengths to give the product an appetizing look ... It’s worth buying caviar by weight if we are firmly convinced of its origin and the honesty of the sellers and are able to very well distinguish fresh caviar by appearance. Judging by the picture that can be observed in our trade, I would never risk buying red caviar by weight now. But this is purely my opinion. Although in the bank, of course, you can buy low-quality goods. How to choose the right red caviar in a jar? According to experts, it is better to choose caviar in tin and glass jars. V glass jar Evaluating caviar is quite simple - in appearance. With tin cans, it's a little more difficult. Try to shake it slightly - if you hear a gurgle, most likely the caviar manufacturer did not spare the brine. Accordingly, the caviar itself will be less there. Let's get to know the label. What should be written on a jar of good red caviar? So, we have several cans of caviar from different manufacturers. First of all, you need to carefully read the label. It should contain information about the producer of red caviar, as well as the presence of GOST. Let's study the composition of the product. According to GOST, the composition of red caviar should include: salt, vegetable oil, nutritional supplements E400 (glycerin, which prevents the caviar from drying out); E200 (sorbic acid) and E239 (urotropin) - these additives are antiseptics. Other additives no longer comply with GOST, which means they can talk about a low-quality product. Also, the label must indicate which fish caviar this product is made from. Pay attention to the date of manufacture and expiration date indicated on the package. Three rows of characters are affixed on the lid: the date of manufacture of caviar, the assortment mark "IKRA", and the plant number with the shift number and the index of the fishing industry "P". Important: the numbers on a can of natural caviar are always pressed through from the inside! If you see numbers on the lid that are pressed through from the outside, this is probably a fake in front of you. A jar of caviar should not be deformed or swollen. Rolling jars must be dense. According to GOST, caviar is rolled into jars within one month after salting. This helps to make sure that the red caviar is rolled up by the producer close to the place of catch. If there is an opportunity to try caviar before you buy, pay attention to its appearance. Eggs must be whole, uniform in shape and size, uniform in color, clean. By consistency - elastic, with a slightly damp surface or dry. There should be no taste of rancid fat or acid, as well as a strong smell of fish. After opening the jar, there should be no eggs on the inside of the lid. If the caviar is motionless, it is too dry. With a sharp shake, the jar should move, but not “squish.” Dense and dark, like rubber, caviar is a sign that it was taken from not very fresh fish. And, therefore, it can harm the body! A very pale color of caviar is a sign of its overripeness. Give up the idea of ​​buying caviar in the market, especially in jars of dubious appearance and with a blurred date of manufacture. It is best to buy caviar in super- and hypermarkets, as well as in specialized fish markets. These shops provide good conditions for storing caviar, and in case of buying a low-quality product, you can exchange or hand it over. Naturally, all this is not possible in the markets. An additional way to check the quality of caviar is to weigh the jar on a scale. The nominal weight of a jar of caviar is 180 grams. Underweight of 15-25 grams may indicate the dishonesty of the manufacturer. Storage conditions for red caviar With vacuum seaming, the shelf life of caviar is 12 months, without vacuum - 6 months. If we opened a jar of red caviar, how long can we eat it? Red caviar should not be frozen. An opened can must be consumed within five days of opening. Water should not get into the caviar. And, of course, you should adhere to the terms and conditions of storage indicated on the jar of caviar.

The holidays are just around the corner, you have probably already decided what dishes to put on the New Year's table. Does your menu include red or black caviar?

Wonderful! Only not everyone knows how to choose it. Here's what you need to know about choosing the right caviar for your holiday feast.

Red caviar - caviar of salmon species of fish, such as: Pacific salmon - pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Atlantic salmon (salmon), trout with its various forms (palya, etc.), brown trout (including Caspian salmon), taimen and others. Red caviar - valuable food product, has high taste qualities and relatively high cost, therefore, refers to delicacies.

Red caviar on store shelves has a different origin:

The most popular is pink salmon caviar, which has an orange or light orange color; sockeye salmon caviar is very rare, all because of the mass extermination of this fish;

Keto caviar of amber-orange color with a fairly dense shell;

Coho salmon caviar, which has a burgundy hue and a bitter taste;

The smallest is trout caviar, its color can vary from yellow to bright orange.

Red artificial caviar, which is made from seaweed and tinted in the desired color. It contains iodine, which is found in algae, so it is considered very useful.

Here's how to choose high-quality and fresh caviar:

Pay attention to the composition: it should not contain artificial caviar, as well as urotropine, a very harmful preservative.

Pay attention to the storage conditions for caviar and whether they are observed by the supermarket.

Remember - high-quality caviar should be in a glass jar. In tin containers, metals are oxidized. In addition, through the glass you can better see the color, size and quality of the grain.

Caviar should not look like it is covered with frost. Because that means it's fake.

High-quality caviar is always crumbly, the eggs have the correct shape, beautiful color and the same size, it bursts slightly and melts in the mouth.

The highest quality caviar is obtained during spawning. This is July-August.

Pay attention to the numbers indicated in the date of manufacture. They should not be pressed inward, because this is a sure sign of a fake.

The jar lid should not be wrinkled or swollen.

High-quality caviar should completely fill the container. If you hear something gurgling in the jar, refrain from buying such caviar.

Take a closer look - perhaps the label does not contain detailed information about the product and the manufacturer. Then it's definitely fake!

Do not risk - do not buy caviar by weight. They can not only weigh you down, but also slip you a low-quality product.

Choose caviar only of the first grade, because it does not have films, foreign taste, smell and bursting eggs.

Choose caviar from a trusted manufacturer.

Here's how to test caviar at home:

Throw 2-3 eggs into hot water, artificial caviar will dissolve in boiling water;

Pour out the caviar and try to build a slide out of it; if it does not fall apart, the caviar is really fresh;

Real caviar bursts easily and does not stick to your teeth when you eat it.

New Year's table shoddy products, and even an analogue of caviar.

natural caviar

not swollen

only caviar

Glycerin (E400), sorbic acid (E200) and urotropine (E239) are added to low-quality caviar. These substances prevent shrinkage of eggs.

If you prefer to buy loose red caviar, then you can focus on the color and smell of the product. Eggs must be the same size, whole and of the same color. The only disadvantage of such a purchase is the lack of information about the manufacturer.

Even if you buy red caviar only for New Year's table, you will benefit from knowing how to choose a real, high-quality product. This delicacy is not cheap, which tempts unscrupulous manufacturers to pack it in jars. shoddy products, and even an analogue of caviar.

So, what can break under the name "red salmon caviar granular"? Very rarely - colored seaweed grains, often - unripe or overripe, frozen and even last year's natural caviar. It costs much less, it is often sold in large quantities, which are then packaged in small expensive jars.

How to choose high-quality red caviar

Pay attention to the jar: the lid must be tightly closed and not swollen. The inscription on the original packaging is squeezed out from the inside, in no case from the outside!

The composition must include only caviar, sometimes salt and vegetable oil.

The question of how to choose the right caviar is very relevant before new year holidays. Well, it's time to figure it out!

Red caviar is obtained from salmon fish(chum salmon, pink salmon, trout, coho salmon, sockeye salmon). The product is rich in vitamins A, D and E, easily digestible proteins (up to 32% in composition), phosphorus, polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also in the composition: iodine, calcium, potassium and iron, folic acid and other nutrients necessary for immunity, youth and strength. A small amount is enough!

Doctors consider red caviar to be the most valuable food product. The main thing is to know which red caviar is better to choose and how to recognize a fake. It is very important. After all, instead of the royal delicacy, you can buy an imitation. For the same money...

So, how to choose high-quality red caviar? We will analyze all the nuances.

We study the information on the packaging

Correct name: Salmon caviar. Classification and characteristics according to GOST 18173-2004.

Grained caviar is made from raw caviar of the Pacific (Far Eastern) salmon fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon. In production, raw material is processed with a solution of table salt, followed by the addition of preservatives (or without them).

Caviar is of the first and second grade.

Varieties of red caviar

Indicator	The norm for the variety
	Red caviar 1 grade	Red caviar 2 grade
Appearance	Caviar of one type of fish. The eggs are clean, whole, uniform in color, without films and blood clots.
	- a small number of shells (shovel) is allowed	- the presence of shells;
		— color heterogeneity;
		- slight sediment.
Consistency	The eggs are elastic, with a slightly moist or dry surface, they separate well and do not stick.
		- may be more moist, slightly less elastic;
		- may be slightly viscous.
Smell	Peculiar to the product of this type, without foreign odors.
Mass fraction of salt, %	4 – 6	4 – 7
Taste	Peculiar to the product, without foreign aftertaste. A slight aftertaste of bitterness (for sockeye salmon, coho salmon caviar) and pungency is allowed.

How to choose a fresh country goose for the New Year's table: how to distinguish an old bird from a young one, signs of a fresh and stale carcass. Useful article link:

The composition of red caviar (read on the package)

There should be three rows of signs on the lid:

• date of manufacture;
• assortment mark "IKRA";
• plant number with shift number and fishing industry index "P"

The numbers on a can of high-quality caviar are pressed through from the inside or applied with a laser with indelible paint. Squeezed outside, smeared - a sign of a fake!

• Ingredients: caviar, salt and preservatives. As a rule, you can't do without them. Use of sorbic acid (E200) or sodium benzoate (E211) is allowed.
• If the composition contains E239 (urotropine), you cannot buy the product - this is a dangerous preservative.

Where and when is caviar packaged?

It is best if the packaging of caviar was carried out near the place of its extraction and production: the Far East, the Russian Federation (Sakhalin, Kamchatka, the Kuriles). According to GOST, no more than a month should pass between the catch and getting into the jar.

• When is caviar packaged?
• Salmon spawning is from July to September. Quality is harvested during these months.

Caviar of pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, trout

• Pink salmon caviar. The size of the eggs is 5 mm. Color - from light orange to orange. This caviar is the most common.
• Caviar caviar. The eggs are larger - 5 - 7 mm. Color - amber-orange. The eggs have an even rounded shape, a well-marked speck-embryo. This is the fattest of all types of caviar.
• Salmon caviar. considered the most useful. The size of the eggs is small - about 3 mm. Color is bright orange. The taste has a slightly bitter tint, so this caviar is not the most popular.
• Salmon caviar. Size - 3 - 4 mm. Quite expensive caviar, not often found on the Russian market. Color - dark red. There is a pronounced fishy taste.
• Chinook caviar. The eggs are large - 6 - 7 mm. Color is intense red. The taste is specific - bitter, slightly spicy. A very rare product.
• Trout caviar. Small caviar - 2 - 3 mm. Color - from yellow to bright orange. Pronounced salty taste.

Which caviar to choose is up to you. If the product is of good quality, you will not be disappointed in any way.

Signs of good caviar

• Appearance of eggs should be conducive to purchase: they should be even, elastic, without impurities and sediment, should be well separated. Do not stick to the bank and to each other.
• The eye-embryo of the egg should be saturated in color and stand out.
• The eggs should be elastic, but not springy. The surface is slightly damp. By pressure and in the mouth good caviar breaks easily, does not stick to the teeth.
• The smell should be fishy, ​​moderate. Taste - characteristic of this product, but not too salty, not bitter. Color - characteristic of red caviar (too pale indicates that the caviar has lost its useful and taste properties).

To check the quality of the product right in the store, shake the jar. The content should move, but not gurgle. If the caviar inside is motionless, it has dried up, and it is better not to buy it.

Signs of a fake

It is equally important to know signs of a fake. Here they are:

• the word "imitated" is present;
• the price is suspiciously low;
• eggs without an eye-embryo, perfectly round and even;
• there is a strong fishy smell, similar to herring milk;
• caviar is very hard and salty, does not burst in the mouth (feeling like chewing gelatin capsules), sticks to the teeth.

There is a simple test. Throw a couple of eggs into hot water: the imitation will dissolve in boiling water or color the water.

As for artificial caviar, it cannot be called harmful, but its value for the body is also not great. The product is made from protein, gelatin, milk and eggs. There are no vitamins and useful fatty acids in its composition - it’s definitely not worth buying one at a natural price.

Type of packaging: glass or tin can, by weight, in plastic containers

How to choose a jar of red caviar? What to prefer: tin, plastic, glass?

• The most expensive caviar is usually sold in a glass jar. She looks presentable. But the main thing is that the product can be well considered. Glass is recognized as the best in terms of hygiene - it does not affect the taste.
• Choose red caviar in cans more difficult - they are not transparent. We will not be able to assess the quality of the product until we open the can. You have to trust the manufacturer. The jar should not be swollen, rusty, mint, all inscriptions should be legible. When shaking, the contents of the jar should not gurgle.
• Caviar by weight, in plastic containers. Such a product can only be purchased from trusted suppliers, good friends. As a rule, there is no data on the composition and expiration date. An unscrupulous seller can use various additives and even tint the product. Plastic containers are the worst packaging - they can be damaged during transportation. Keeping caviar in them is also not very correct.

In a word, tin and glass are a priority.

And finally. Store the product in the refrigerator, respecting the expiration dates. It is better not to keep an open jar for a long time - no more than 5 days. There is also no point in freezing caviar - it will lose not only taste, but also its own characteristics. beneficial features. Appearance will also suffer.

Optimal: bought - ate. Be healthy and happy holidays!

Love sweet tangerines? Learn how to recognize them

For many, red caviar is associated with a festive mood. She is a symbol of national Russian cuisine and can always be found on the tables in honor of a significant event or at New Year. Once upon a time, red caviar was not a delicacy and was often found on the table of ordinary people; in northern countries, red caviar even replaced bread. True, over time, foreign markets became interested in this product, and already in Soviet times, red and black caviar became delicacies and appeared on tables only on holidays. Therefore, having bought a jar of red caviar, you really do not want to buy low-quality goods or, moreover, a fake.

When choosing red caviar, it is important to remember that high cost does not always indicate its quality. In order not to buy a fake, it is important to know a few simple rules.

How to choose high-quality, tasty red caviar

High quality red caviar should be whole, without plaque and films. Should not have liquid between the eggs, but should not be very dry. To make sure that the caviar is real, you can throw a couple of eggs in warm water. A fake will dissolve in such water. Buy red caviar only from trusted manufacturers.

The company "Kaites" produces the most delicious seafood and offers only high quality, which is available to everyone. By contacting our company, you can easily buy red caviar in bulk in Moscow. All that remains for you is to enjoy an appetizing and tasty product.