How to distinguish real caviar from fake. The whole truth about red caviar Why did a white ball appear inside the eggs?

Each of us wants to buy high-quality red caviar. Let's find out what and why there are defects in red caviar.

It is known that the shell of eggs must be elastic and durable, giving the eggs their shape. But when buying caviar, we more than once noticed dented grains. This is due to the fact that the eggs were held back before processing or frozen eggs were used to make the caviar, resulting in a weak grain shell.
If there are foreign impurities or blood clots in the caviar, this indicates that the technological and sanitary production regime was violated. For the same reason, there may be sand in the caviar. And this is evidenced by cramping when eating caviar.
Eggs whose shells have burst are called burst eggs. Such lopants appear when the raw material is delayed before processing, during freezing, as well as when the beads of red caviar are damaged when the jasts break through.
The cause of bitterness when eating salmon caviar may be due to uneven distribution of hexamine in the caviar or storage of red caviar at elevated temperatures. Bitterness can also be caused by the use of table salt, which contains a high content of calcium and magnesium salts. But we should not forget that bitterness can also be a natural property of the caviar of fish such as coho salmon and sockeye salmon.
The presence of liquid in the caviar, which consists of the yolk mass of eggs and brine residues, usually occurs when unripe caviar or caviar from retained eggs is salted. In addition, the presence of liquid may indicate that the caviar was frozen or that the brine was simply poorly removed when salting the red caviar.
If caviar is stored for a long time in a metal container, where the varnish coating is damaged, then a metallic taste and smell of metal appears in red caviar. Also, if the storage regime is violated or the salmon caviar is processed incorrectly, a sourish taste may appear, albeit subtle.
Souring of caviar also occurs when storage rules are violated or when canning was done at the wrong time. Souring may also indicate bacterial contamination of red caviar. Souring of caviar, which is accompanied by a change in the color of the eggs, as well as the release of hydrogen sulfide, indicates that the temperature regime for storing salmon caviar has been violated. In addition, this may also indicate the absence of preservatives in caviar.
The appearance of mold, that is, a whitish coating with various shades, with an associated unpleasant odor, indicates a violation of the processing of red caviar. The same mold may appear if the caviar was packaged in low-quality containers.
It often happens that when buying red caviar, you can see white inclusions between its beads, that is, white crystals and completely odorless. The presence of such a defect in red caviar indicates long-term storage of caviar at elevated temperatures. As a result of such storage, protein hydrolysis occurs, which leads to the appearance of such white crystals between the eggs.
When you open a jar of red caviar, you can see a mound of caviar. The appearance of such a slide is due to the fact that vegetable oil was added not according to the norm, but significantly less. Or there is simply no oil.
There are areas of caviar called streaks, formed from under-pressed upper grains on the caviar surface. In such areas, the caviar becomes wet and begins to mold. This indicates that the air has not been sufficiently squeezed out of the can.

As you can see, there are many defects in red caviar. This is why you need to be very careful when purchasing salmon caviar.

A few days ago, Voronezh residents began to receive messages about the appearance of red caviar sellers on the streets of the city. Without documents in hand and without issuing receipts, young people with a delicacy for 200 rubles. After standing in one place for 2 - 3 days, the sellers disappeared forever. Correspondents of “MY! Online" on Wednesday, November 28, made a test purchase of the product in Polytechnic Lane. As it turned out, we purchased the goods on time - the next day there was a tent with a delicacy, as our readers predicted.

Having opened the jar, we discovered that the product smelled of chemicals and did not taste like red caviar. There were air bubbles inside the eggs, and the shell on the teeth did not burst, but rather wrinkled.

After tasting caviar with the entire editorial staff, doubts crept into our minds: what did we eat? Most were inclined to believe that the product was synthetic, but some admitted that the caviar could have been real, just of poor quality. We contacted the Rospotrebradzor laboratory with a request to do a test to identify the product, but, to our surprise, it turned out that it was impossible to check whether caviar is caviar in the laboratory in Voronezh. As an alternative, we were offered to do a microbiology test for 400 rubles - to tell whether there are microbes in the caviar and in what quantity.

Then we turned to the Voronezh State Institute of Engineering Technologies (VSUIT - a former technological institute). And then it turned out that there was no need to carry out complex and expensive tests at all.

Reference:

Sodium alginate is registered in the food industry as a food additive E401, used as a thickener and stabilizer.

“It looks like alginate,” said Lyudmila Antipova, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Animal Products, after sniffing and examining the jar. – This is a dense gel-like substance that is often used in the production of sausage, marmalade and other products. When producing artificial caviar, a little gum, a little dye, a flavoring agent, a flavoring agent are added to the alginate... everything is there. Then prepare a two percent solution of table salt, take a pipette and drop the solution directly into the mass. You get balls. Of course, on an industrial scale, instead of a pipette, there are some devices.

To check whether the caviar in front of us was real, we immediately conducted an experiment on the spot: we poured a glass of warm water (40 - 45 degrees) from the cooler, scooped caviar from a jar with a spoon, threw it into the water and stirred.

The paint quickly washed off from the so-called caviar

“The secret is this,” Lyudmila Vasilievna commented on the procedure. – The protein partially comes out of the eggs and enters the water. At a hot temperature, the protein is brewed. If the caviar is real, then the eggs will turn white and the water will become cloudy. And if caviar is made from alginate, it will lose color, since the dye is an easily washed-out substance.

The glass of water in which our caviar was swimming turned a pinkish color after a minute, and the eggs, from which the dye was gradually washed out, turned yellow, and after some time they became completely pale. Since air bubbles jumped to the surface from one or the other, we concluded that the shell was slowly dissolving. So the caviar that is sold on the streets is definitely not of natural origin.

New Year 2014 is coming very soon. In Russia, it is customary to set the table richly for a holiday so that it is bursting with dishes. In addition to tangerines and champagne, red caviar should be present at the New Year's belly celebration. But this particular product is subject to frequent counterfeits. In addition, it is easy to stumble upon low-quality or counterfeit products. In order not to overshadow the holiday and not waste a considerable amount of money, when choosing caviar you should pay attention to important factors.

GOST

One of the main criteria when choosing red caviar is the presence of GOST. If caviar is made according to GOST, then it is packaged in jars within a month after salting. This is the kind of caviar that inspires trust. This indicator gives confidence that the product was produced close to the place of catch.

Jar

It is still better to buy red caviar in glass jars. In this case, you will be able to consider for yourself what exactly you are purchasing. The lid should be tightly screwed on without bulging. If the lid is deformed, then you can be sure that the caviar in the jar is spoiled, it already contains unacceptable microorganisms.
If you purchase red caviar in a metal can, pay attention to the date of manufacture. It must be knocked out from the inside. Under no circumstances should you take caviar with a printed or blurred production date - this is dangerous, the caviar is most likely counterfeit. You cannot store caviar in a can. In general, any product should be transferred from an iron can to another container immediately after opening.
By the way, there should be three rows of symbols on the lid of the jar. In the first row, the date of manufacture is indicated, namely the date of salting. In the second row there is an assortment sign “ICRA”. And in the third - the number of the plant where the caviar was produced, the shift number and the fishing industry index “P”.
The barcode of the can must be exactly the brand that the caviar is produced by.
After opening a jar of red caviar, pay attention to the lid: there should be no caviar stuck to it.

Compound

According to GOST, the composition in a jar of red caviar is minimal. The product must contain salt, caviar, and vegetable oil. Also, caviar usually contains additives. If you see the “scary” signs E400, E200, E239 and E400 on the can, then do not be alarmed. Such additives are acceptable in a jar of caviar. E400, for example, is glycerin. It is added to the product to prevent the caviar from drying out. And E200 and E239 are antiseptics, which are also necessary for the safety of the product.
It is also necessary to indicate the type of fish on the can. A conscientious manufacturer cannot neglect this factor. The most common fish from which caviar is taken are pink salmon, chum salmon and sockeye salmon.

View

Good red caviar should be uniform in color, without films and without blood clots. The eggs in the jar are not wrinkled, whole and adjacent to each other. Bubbles and white coating indicate that the caviar is spoiled. And droplets on the walls of the jar indicate an excessive amount of oil. The eggs should be whole, elastic and separate. Caviar should be moderately moist. When shaking the jar, the eggs should flow smoothly. If the caviar does not move, then the product is too dry. But caviar should not be too liquid. If the eggs float in liquid, then such caviar has been frozen or its expiration date has expired.

Weighed caviar

A lot can be said about loose caviar, but not in its favor. If the caviar has not been put into jars within a month, then such caviar is sold by weight. But such caviar must be sold within four months. This provision prohibits the sale of caviar after the New Year, because spawning occurs in July and August. As a rule, the terms and rules for storing loose caviar are not observed. If caviar in a barrel has deteriorated, it can be restored to marketable condition using various additives and dyes. It is best to buy loose caviar in September and October - there is less risk of stumbling upon old spoiled caviar.

It is best to buy caviar in large stores or supermarkets. In this case, there is more confidence that the product came from trusted manufacturers and storage rules were followed. To avoid getting caught by a fake, you need to know four rules:

The color of natural caviar is bright orange or pink-red. And artificial caviar is dull and red-orange. Self-made caviar shows smudges and uneven coloring.
Natural caviar has a faint fishy smell, while artificial caviar is flavored with herring brine. After this, the unnatural eggs have a strong herring smell.
Natural caviar, if crushed, splashes and bursts. And artificial caviar sticks to your teeth like gelatin.
In natural eggs the embryo is visible, in artificial eggs, of course, it is not.

Of course, you won’t remember such rules right away. But, nevertheless, it is better to carefully approach the choice of red caviar. Nobody wants to get poisoned on New Year's Eve. Carefully studying a jar of caviar and paying attention to the appearance of the eggs is a guarantee that sandwiches with caviar will bring only pleasure.

Many buyers are wondering: how to check red caviar at home - is it natural or not? Red caviar is one of the affordable but expensive delicacies. It can be one of the best decorations on the holiday table. Red caviar is not only good on sandwiches, but also rich in nutrients. This is not surprising, because caviar is a collection of fish eggs in which the embryos of fry should develop.

In most living organisms, the organs where the offspring develop, which are expected to grow rapidly, are saturated with fats, proteins and vitamins. Therefore, both plant seeds and bird eggs, as well as the fish roe we mentioned, are very nutritious and contain vitamins. In the food industry, unfertilized eggs are usually used. And red caviar is a collective name for the caviar of different types of salmon fish. They are similar in color and composition.

The benefits of red caviar

Red caviar contains vitamins of groups A, B, D and E, as well as folic acid, which is essential for pregnant women - in its absence, the development of the fetal neural tube is disrupted. Of the microelements, it contains, as in many seafood, iodine, in addition - calcium, phosphorus and iron. Caviar is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Together with fish meat, its fat and vegetable oils, it is considered a valuable source of Omega-3 and Omega-6. They support cardiovascular health and help prevent cancer, asthma, depression and obesity, despite their high calorie content. Calcium is good for bones, and iron increases hemoglobin.

People will certainly want to counterfeit such a valuable product! You may encounter low-quality goods or artificial caviar. But few people would agree to go to the laboratory with a jar of caviar to evaluate the quality of the product. It would be convenient to test red caviar at home. How to do it? Let's look at some points. In the article you will learn more about how to check whether red caviar is real or not, at home and in the store. First, let's try to evaluate the quality of caviar.

Studying the jar

At home, you can test red caviar, as you might guess, to taste. But it is much better to find out this in advance, before purchasing. The jar in which caviar is sold can tell you a lot. First, shake her. Natural caviar is usually packed tightly and you will not hear any gurgling. If it is, feel free to leave the product on the store shelf. Second, consider the labeling. It should be pressed in from the inside. If they are pressed in from the outside, which is much easier to do, you are dealing with a fake. The release date is also informative. The caviar is usually collected in the summer, and it is quickly processed. Other dates should alert you.

Look at the composition. Avoid caviar, which contains E239 - methenamine. toxic. Sodium benzoate (E211) is also not beneficial. Both of these substances, under certain conditions, are converted into carcinogens. There will most likely be preservatives in caviar, but preference should be given to sorbic acid (E200), which is the most harmless.

We buy by weight

By weight, it is much easier to distinguish a fake from the original - after all, the entire product is in plain sight. You can even taste it! But here too it is important to be careful. First, take a look at the caviar and evaluate its appearance. If the kernels are excessively large and dull in color, polyphosphates may have been added to it. They are placed to increase weight because they retain moisture. This caused a strange swelling of the eggs in size. Not only is it simply unprofitable to buy water instead of caviar, but polyphosphates are also very harmful. The property of retaining water is also reflected in the human body - edema and cardiovascular diseases occur.

How to test red caviar at home? You can do the same inspection at home, and also taste it. There is one drawback to this - the product has already been purchased and the money has been spent. High-quality red caviar smells pleasant. Take an egg in your hand. It should not have a coating, and when squeezed, the egg bursts. Taste it - you should feel the familiar taste of red caviar, any differences from which are a reason to refuse the purchase.

The dangers of loose caviar

It’s convenient to buy in bulk - all the caviar is in plain sight. But we must take into account that if not packaged, it can be stored for no more than 4 months. As is already known, salmon spawning occurs in the summer, so after November you should not buy caviar in bulk. Most likely, it has already been frozen and has lost its unique flavor and texture.

Another danger of loose caviar is that the seller can remove dried or cloudy caviar (a sign of loss of container integrity) and add glycerin and fragrances. And the best option is to choose caviar in glass containers. It is sealed and protected from manipulation by unscrupulous sellers, and at the same time visible to the light.

What is artificial caviar?

When artificial red and black caviar was invented, it was made from eggs. However, the product was very different in taste and texture from the natural one and was not in great demand. As the years passed, technology developed. Modern artificial caviar is based on gelling agents - agar and sodium alginate. The first is obtained from red algae, the second from brown algae.

Artificial caviar is made from eggs, milk and protein. Salmon meat and fish oil can be used in production. This gives the caviar a fishy taste. But it still tastes inferior to the real thing. It is devoid of most of the beneficial substances found in real caviar. Dyes and flavorings that are intended to at least bring its taste closer to natural may pose a health hazard.

In principle, caviar surrogate is a good choice for those who save money. It can be used to decorate dishes for a large number of guests. But if you go to the store with the goal of buying a natural delicacy, you will beware of fakes. Some buyers are trying to test red caviar at home. As often happens, not everyone is able to distinguish natural caviar from a surrogate, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the tips for choosing this product.

There is one more fact not in favor of artificial caviar. An agar-agar-based product can be stored for only a few hours when opened. It is no coincidence that this red algae gelling agent is used in Petri dishes to grow laboratory bacteria. This is an excellent breeding ground for them. Therefore, if you leave such caviar in the refrigerator, you risk getting many unknown microorganisms along with it.

At the same time, the question has arisen: how to test red caviar at home - is it natural or artificial?

What does the packaging hide?

Try testing red caviar both at home and on the spot. Manufacturers of artificial caviar do not always intend to hide this fact, so be sure to read what is written on the packaging. It may indicate that the product is a fish imitation. But even if this fact is hidden, the composition can reveal the truth indirectly. If caviar contains vegetable oil and dye, this is not without reason! Oil is used to prevent the gelatin eggs from sticking together, and the dye gives them a red tint. An unnaturally bright color may be a sign of dye use.

You should be wary of the product's low price. Storage conditions can also give away all the secrets. Natural caviar is stored at subzero temperatures, so if you see a storage temperature above zero, for example, from + 4 to + 8, this is a fake. Artificial caviar sticks together when frozen, and when defrosted it turns into mush. To prevent this from happening, the packaging does not indicate a temperature below zero.

Look at the manufacturer's address. In the Far East, it hardly makes sense to produce artificial caviar, but if the production site is located in the continental part, then the likelihood of counterfeiting is high. Testing red caviar, real or not, at home, as it turns out, is quite possible!

Appearance and properties

How to check whether red caviar is real or not by appearance? Carefully examine the eggs. The most important criterion is that fake eggs will not have a nucleus, because they are devoid of an embryo! Artificial eggs can vary in size and color, but natural eggs are usually the same size and color.

What other ways are there to test red caviar at home - is it natural? How can this be done? Throw a couple of eggs into hot water. If the caviar is real, nothing will happen. And the artificial one will quickly give itself away. The gelatin shell will dissolve in water. Caviar substitute quickly turns the water orange.

Structure, taste and smell

It’s worth putting the egg on your tongue and trying to crush it. If it bursts, it means it's real. Artificial caviar can only be bitten with your teeth. While the real egg is a capsule with liquid contents in which the fry should develop, technologies for the production of surrogate have not reached such an accurate imitation. Its eggs are uniform in structure. Good caviar should not be overly salted. Pay attention to how the caviar smells. A pronounced herring smell indicates that the caviar is made from fish meat and fat, that is, artificial, or that flavorings have been added to it, which is also not in its favor.

Let's sum it up

So, how to test red caviar at home? Natural red caviar has many visual and taste properties. And information about it can be obtained by carefully studying the packaging. So, if you are observant enough, you can check at home whether red caviar is real or not. Buy quality products and enjoy the taste!

Caviar obtained from salmon species: salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, trout, brown trout, taimen.

Red caviar is a ball of orange to red color, covered with a thin shell. Inside the egg you can see bubbles - fat drops, as well as the yolk in the form of a dark blotch.

Red caviar is considered a gourmet product due to its taste and high cost. Its price is lower than the price of black caviar, since there are fewer sturgeon fish than salmon.

Manufacturing

The production of red caviar requires strict adherence to technology. The caught fish is packed with ice and delivered to the processing site. Retrieval of caviar must occur no later than four hours after catching. It is sorted by degree of maturity and size, freed from fat and films, and washed with boiled water.

After a maximum of two hours, the caviar should be in a solution (brine) with a standardized amount of table salt. Salt is added taking into account whether canned lightly salted caviar is being prepared or caviar that is heavily salted in barrels. The brine is infused for at least 10 days. Then preservatives are added to the caviar, most often sorbic acid (E-200) and methenamine (E-239).

Kinds

The most valuable types of red caviar are chum salmon and chinook salmon. True, the latter is listed in the Red Book and is not caught. Chum salmon caviar has an orange hue and eggs with a diameter of 5–6 mm.

Pink salmon caviar is 5 mm in diameter and light orange in color. This is one of the most versatile and widespread varieties of red caviar.

Sockeye salmon caviar is rare due to the massive extermination of the fish.

The smallest caviar is that of trout: its diameter is 2–3 mm. Color varies from deep yellow to bright orange.

Coho salmon caviar is small, with a burgundy tint, and has a slightly bitter taste.

Usage

Gourmets love to eat red caviar on its own, when the taste of this delicacy is not interrupted by anything. In this case, it is served in a special glass caviar bowl, which is placed on crushed ice.

The most common dish with red caviar is sandwiches with butter.

In addition, it can be added to salads, pancakes, stuffed eggs, sushi, rolls, tartlets, sauces, etc.

How to choose

It is best to buy red caviar in metal or glass jars. Transparent packaging is preferable as it allows you to see the contents. Real caviar is sold by weight only in cities where it is produced and only in the spring and summer.

Red caviar should be uniform in size and color. The eggs should not be stuck together. High-quality caviar does not contain many broken eggs, stuck together clots, large amounts of liquid or blood.

The jar should be completely filled, and the eggs should fit snugly against the walls. A large amount of liquid indicates that the eggs were damaged, most likely due to repeated repackaging.

High-quality caviar easily pours out of the jar, resembling peas.

The caviar packaging time is from late spring to late summer. If the packaging indicates a different production date, then it was obtained from a frozen product.

Yellow or light orange color indicates that the caviar is overripe. High-quality eggs are clean, smooth, without plaque.

Good caviar is characterized by a subtle fishy smell. Its shells burst easily, and in the middle you can see dark dots - “eyes”.

The counterfeit product completely dissolves in hot water.

Storage

Red caviar cannot be frozen. It is stored in the refrigerator. After opening the jar, it is recommended to eat the caviar within 5–7 days.

Beneficial features

Red caviar contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which is completely absorbed by the body. It is recommended to be used during intense physical and mental stress, during the recovery period after illness. Red caviar prevents the development of rickets, strengthens the immune and nervous systems, maintains visual acuity, enhances potency, improves blood circulation, rejuvenates the body, improves skin condition, and maintains vascular elasticity.

Restrictions on use

Red caviar contains a lot of cholesterol, so it is not recommended to consume it in large quantities if there is a risk of developing atherosclerosis, heart disease, a tendency to edema, hypertension, and kidney disease.