Product Review: Gorton's Grilled Salmon

Salmon is an excellent nutritional choice, but can frozen salmon fillets match up to fresh, wild-caught salmon? During a recent shopping trip, I saw Gorton's Grilled salmon in the freezer case next to the fish sticks. At $2.99 for a 6.3 oz package (or $7.59 per pound), it actually cost slightly less than fresh salmon, and I was in the mood for convenience, so I decided to give it a try.

Why choose salmon, anyway? Well, eating fish is good for you -- but salmon is even better. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2006 determined that eating 1-2 servings of fish per week (especially fish higher in Omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon) cuts the risk of death from coronary heart disease by 36 percent.

According to other studies, however, fish often contain problematic amounts of mercury and other pollutants, which can build up in the human body over time. Because of this, it's important to consider what kind of fish you're eating. Salmon is widely considered one of the safest choices, especially when wild-caught. Farm-raised salmon contain higher concentrations of pollutants, so I always look for wild-caught salmon. Gorton's Grilled Salmon is labeled as wild salmon, so I felt good about purchasing this for my family.

The fillets are cut into perfect rectangles, pre-seasoned, and packaged in plastic, two fillets per box (it would be nice if a family pack were available, in order to waste less packaging). The fillets can microwaved, although cooking in the oven is recommended. I chose oven-baking, since I was preparing six fillets.

The salmon cooked easily in about 15 minutes, filling the house with a delicious, flame-grilled aroma. A white, fat-like substance does appear on top of the cooked fillets; according to the package, "you may notice the Salmon's natural white protein coming to the surface as it cooks." If that elicits groans from your family, the protein can be scraped off before serving.

The fillets were slightly drier than fresh salmon would have been, but overall the texture was the same. The flavor was also not as rich as fresh salmon would have been, but it was reasonably good for frozen fish. The seasoning was also adequate. My family, including the children, enjoyed eating the salmon.

Nutritionally, there are differences between Gorton's Grilled Salmon and fresh salmon. First, Gorton's does add seasonings, including monosodium glutamate (MSG). If you prefer to avoid MSG, this may not be the choice for you. Also, one serving of Gorton's Grilled Salmon contains 270 mg of sodium, compared to 48 mg in wild Atlantic salmon (nutritiondata.com).

Other additives include sodium tripolyphosphate (say that three times, fast), which helps retain fish moisture, and propyl galate, which is supposed to protect flavor.

Omega-3 fatty acids are probably the most important nutrients found in salmon, so it's important to know how Gorton's Grilled Salmon compares with fresh salmon in Omega-3 content. According to nutritiondata.com, a three-ounce portion of wild Atlantic salmon contains 2198 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, a three-ounce serving of Gorton's Grilled Salmon only contains 410 mg of Omega-3's. The Gorton's Grilled Salmon also contains only 100 calories per serving, compared to 155 for the fresh, wild Atlantic salmon. Since Gorton's features "100 calories" prominently on the package, my guess is that they have removed some of the fat in order to provide a 100-calorie serving, which is more easily marketed to dieters.

Despite these deficiences, eating Gorton's Grilled Salmon once in a while isn't going to hurt you or your family. On a regular basis, fresh salmon is a far better choice, but if you're in a hurry, Gorton's Grilled Salmon is a good backup plan.

SOURCES
Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH; Eric B. Rimm, ScD, "Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health", Journal of the American Medical Association
"Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, dry heat", nutritiondata.com