Birds Eye Salmon Fish Fingers

Introduction

We first bought Birdseye Salmon Fish Fingers a couple of months ago. It wasn’t a product that we had seen advertised and they weren’t on our shopping list either. They were simply something we “discovered” whilst looking for something tasty for our baby boy whilst shopping at Asda. He doesn’t really seem to like eating meat but enjoys fish … so when we saw 10 Birdseye Salmon Fish Fingers were only £2.50 we bought a box for him to try. The good news was that he loved them and we have since bought them on a regular basis and have also tried them ourselves.

Birdseye Salmon Fish Fingers

My dad refers to these as “posh fish fingers” and they are certainly different to the other fish fingers that are found in the frozen foods section of the supermarket. The first thing you notice is the fact that the packaging is much more sophisticated then many other Birdseye products. With a tasteful ocean scene in the background, the box features a single salmon fish finger that has been cut in half and is in the process of being seduced by a slice of lemon. The packaging also displays the Birdseye promise that the product is made with 100% Wild Pink Salmon Fillet …

So what is a fish finger made from salmon actually like ? Well, to begin with, the salmon gives these fish fingers a distinctive (and natural looking) pink appearance which in my opinion looks far more appealing than the greyish white colouring of most of the other fish fingers I have eaten in the past. They also taste much better too with a richer, creamier flavour and a delightfully delicate texture.

However, anyone who knows their fish fingers will know that the breadcrumb coating is just as important as the fish and Birdseye seem to have perfected the art of creating a wonderfully crisp but tasty breadcrumb. The breadcrumb coating itself has a slightly zingy taste (it does contain paprika and turmeric) but this doesn’t overpower the delicate taste of the salmon. We have grilled these and oven baked them and every time the end results have been impressive … a succulent fish finger surrounded by a quality breadcrumb coating.

When you slice through the delightfully crisp golden breadcrumb you are rewarded with the fragrant aroma of a fresh salmon fillet and they taste delicious. These fish fingers have a delicate texture and melt in your mouth. My baby son loves these with peas and a slice of brown bread and butter whilst I quite like making a late night snack which involves grilling four and whacking them between two slices of white bread and adding a generous dollop of mayonnaise!

In my opinion these are great items to keep in the freezer as they can be oven baked or grilled from frozen and take just 12 minutes to cook (both methods). They are far superior to the standard kind of fish finger although those of you who love to eat salmon will probably prefer it fresh. In our house they are a hit … my baby son loves them, my missus loves them and I love them. They also contain a natural source of Omega 3 which again is beneficial as part of a healthy diet. Birdseye Salmon Fish Fingers, therefore, are highly recommended and if you haven’t tasted them all I can say is that they are well worth a try !

So there you have it. No song lyrics this time just a simple and straightforward review of what in my opinion is an extremely tasty product …

Or is it ?

Please, read on ...

Gray Discovers Something Fishy On The Packaging …

Just before I published this review I realised that I had stated that this was a product that young children would enjoy so thought it best to include the information relating to ingredients and nutrition (to give other parents as much relevant information as possible).
It was at this point when I discovered a startling fact … and something which I feel contradicts the information that is so clearly displayed on the front of the packet.

Birdseye seem proud of the fact that these fish fingers are made from “100% Wild Pink Salmon Fillets” yet if you read the ingredients it clearly states (in much smaller writing of course) that the fish fingers are made from 58% Pink Salmon. Whilst I accept that no other fish has been used within the recipe it does seem rather worrying that just over 50% of each individual fish finger is actually made from fish. I got one out of the freezer to have a closer look and the breadcrumb coating was actually quite thin and certainly not 42% of the fish finger. I was intrigued so decided to contact Birdseye for an answer …

Gray Contacts Birdseye …

I contacted Birdseye’s Customer Care Line and had an interesting and informative conversation with a lady who was only to happy to help. I did, however, find a few answers to some of the questions I asked. Here’s a short summary of what I found out …

1) The only fish used in these fish fingers is wild pink salmon
2) Only 58% of the product, however, is fresh fish
3) Out of the other 42% there is a layer of batter (Wheat Flour, Water, Potato Starch, Salt) and then a layer of breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Water, Paprika, Salt Yeast, Turmeric) and also Vegetable Oil.

Whilst speaking on the telephone I had the rapidly thawing fish finger in my hand and I still found it hard to believe that the coating made up 42%. I decided to push the Customer Care Representative a little further where I discovered that water was not included in the ingredients of the batter and the breadcrumbs but was also added to the fish to help it to keep its nutrients and texture during the freezing process.

A Few Thoughts About What I Had Discovered …

Whilst the announcement on the packaging that these fish fingers are made from 100% Wild Pink Salmon Fillet isn’t exactly a lie … I do feel that it is somewhat deceiving. This is because (in my opinion) this information seems to suggest that the fish fingers have more salmon in them than they actually do.

Having said that, however, would shoppers be less likely to buy a pack of 10 salmon fish fingers if the wording on the packaging was “Made from 58% Wild Pink Salmon Fillet” ? And how much of a risk would Birdseye be taking if the packaging announced that they were “Made from 58% Salmon and 42% water, batter and breadcrumbs” ?

Summary

Despite the fact that I have highlighted the issue of Birdseye’s slightly misleading use of wording it would not actually stop me from buying this product again. I stick by everything I have already written within this review and as I stated earlier Birdseye Salmon Fingers are a product we all enjoy eating and are simple to prepare.

I have also just been informed by my mum that they are currently being sold at just £1 for a pack of ten at Iceland … happy days !!!

Ingredients & Nutritional Information

*** INGREDIENTS ***

Pink Salmon (58%), Breadcrumb (Wheat Flour, Water, Paprika, Salt Yeast, Turmeric), Batter (Wheat Flour, Water, Potato Starch, Salt) and Vegetable Oil.

*** NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ***

The following nutritional information is based on a 10g serving (which is roughly 4 fish fingers);

• ENERGY (kcal) … 225 kcal
• PROTEIN … 13.2g
• CARBOHYDRATES … 21.7g
• FAT … 9.5g
• FIBRE … 0.9g
• SODIUM … 0.27g
• SALT … 0.7g

ALLERGY ADVICE

This product contains fish and wheat.
On the packaging there is a warning that despite every care being taken to remove all of the bones some bones may actually be present in the fish fingers.

FINAL THOUGHT

Birdseye Salmon Fish Fingers may be a great example of how food manufacturers cleverly disguise the ingredients used within their products but this does not in any way take away from the fact that these fish fingers are (in my opinion) a great product. I have included this information so that you can make your own decisions but I would suggest that you give these a try at least once !!!

Thanks for taking time to read this review. I hope that you enjoyed reading it and found the information interesting and informative.

=== >>> jedimastergray73