Thread: Basa Fish

An email doing the rounds at the moment:

BASA FISH PLEASE READ!!!!!

Woolworths sells this fish !!!

A possible side effect of a non-stringent immigration policy ... one suspects.

Many are snatching up the fish at supermarkets as they are very cheap.
The fish looks good but read the article and you will be shocked.

This product is from Vietnam.

Do you eat this frozen fish called BASA? ( Pangasius, Vietnamese River Cobbler, White Catfish, Gray Sole )

Industrially farmed in Vietnam along the Mekong River, BASA or Pangas or whatever they're calling it, has only been recently introduced to the French market. However, in a very short amount of time, it has grown in popularity in France. They are very, very affordable (cheap), are sold in filets with no bones and they have a neutral flavor and texture; many would compare it to cod and sole, only much cheaper. But as tasty as some people may find it, there's, in fact, something hugely unsavory about it. I hope the information provided here will serve as very important information for you and your future choices. Here's why it is better left in the shops and not on your dinner plates:

1. BASAS or Pangas are teeming with high levels of poisons and bacteria.(industrial effluents, arsenic, and toxic and hazardous by-products of the growing industrial sector, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), metal contaminants, chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) ).

The reason is that the Mekong River is one of the most polluted rivers on the planet and this is where basa/pangas are farmed and industries along the river dump chemicals and industrial waste directly into it. Avoid eating them because they contain high amounts of contamination. Regardless of Reports and recommendations against selling them, supermarkets still sell them, knowing full well that they are contaminated.

2. They freeze Basa/Pangas in contaminated river water.

3. BASA/Pangas are raised in Vietnam . Pangas are fed food that comes from Peru ( more on that below ), their hormones ( which are injected into the female Pangas ) come from China . ( More about that below ) and finally, they are transported fromVietnam to other countries .

4. There's nothing natural about Basa/Pangas - They're fed dead fish remnants and bones, dried and ground into a flour (from South America), manioc ( cassava ) and residue from soy and grains. This kind of nourishment doesn't even remotely resemble what they eat in nature. But what it does resemble is the method of feeding mad cows ( cows were fed cows, remember? ). What they feed basa/pangas is completely unregulated so there are most likely other dangerous substances and hormones thrown into the mix. The basa/pangas grow 4 times faster than in nature, so it makes you wonder what exactly is in their food? Your guess is as good as mine.

5. Basa/Pangas are injected with Hormones Derived from Urine. They inject female Basa/Pangas with hormones made from the dehydrated urine of pregnant women, the female Pangas grow much quicker and produce eggs faster ( one Basa/Panga can lay approximately 500,000 eggs at one time ). Essentially, they're injecting fish with hormones ( they come all of the way from a pharmaceutical company in China ) to speed up the process of growth and reproduction. That isn't good. And also consider the rest of the reasons to NOT eat BASA.

6. You get what you pay for - and then some. Don't be lured in by insanely cheap price of Basa/Pangas. Is it worth risking your health and the health of your family?

7. Buying Basa/Pangas supports unscrupulous, greedy corporations and food conglomerates that don't care about the health and well-being of human beings. They are only concerned about selling as many basa/pangas as possible to unsuspecting consumers. These corporations only care about making more money at whatever cost to the public..

8. Basa/Pangas WILL make you sick - If you don't get ill with vomiting, diarrhea and effects from severe food poisoning, congratulations, you have an iron stomach! But you're still ingesting POISON not "poisson".

Final important note: Because of the prodigious amount of availability of Basa/Pangas, be warned that they will certainly find their way into other foods like imitation crab sticks, fish sticks, fish terrines, and probably in some pet food too. Just check the Ingredient List to see if Basa is one of the ingredients. Good Luck.

I buy a few fillets every week and pan fry them in flour and curry powder.

How do I know the above is not alarmist?

Like most emails doing the rounds you need to take the content with a grain of salt. This is not new, years ago I heard a similar story relating too those seafood extender sticks being made from catfish from the Mekong. Not that I'd ever eat that stuff anyway.

Best place to buy your fish fillets is from a local market that sources it's stock fresh of the boats.

if you have enough people and know someone down the Gold Coast Soriminah, you can buy fresh NZ fish by the 5kg. The best tasting fresh fish youll ever have. Its less than 12 hours old. Everyone whos tried the fish just gets it from here now. It didnt take me too long to get enough people to buy and now I have to buy 10kg lots. Mods remove if link is not allowed http://www.kiwifreshfish.com.au

cheers

What Are The Growing Conditions For Basa?

Basa are grown in one of the most suitable environments for fish farming found anywhere in the world. The Mekong River (from which drains much of the Himalayan snow melt) has one of the largest consistent flows of fresh, clean water on the planet. Australian environmental scientists working for the Mekong River Commission, which monitors water quality at over 50 sites, confirm that testing over the past 15 years shows no serious contamination of the river - partly because there is little industry in its catchment, and partly because of its large flow. It is one of the cleanest of the world's large rivers. Claims that the Mekong River is seriously contaminated have been overwhelmingly refuted by those Australian scientists working in the region.

How Safe Is Basa?

Behind Vietnam's farmed fish export trade is a modern, multi-billion dollar industry that applies the highest levels of global science and technology in the entire chain of its safe food production - essential to enable it to compete in highly regulated and fastidious western markets. The processing factories that produce fish for export to Australia are at the cutting edge of modern technology and are accredited to the highest levels of international food safety.

In addition, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) service rigorously tests all arriving shipments of fish for a range of potential contaminants, prior to release. This multi-tier food safety system ensures consumers have no need to be concerned about product quality or food safety - and this is frequently confirmed by Australia's highest food safety authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

Source: Seafood Importers Association of Australia (SIAA) : Correct Information About Basa

I used to purchase basa as it super cheap but i now but no onger eat it as i just dont think it has as much nutritional vaue as good Aussie produce.
Some of the local fish like Cod, perch etc are usually only $5 or more per kg than the basa so there really is no need to eat Basa.

I ate heaps of fish from the Mekong whilst touring Thailand, Vietnman and Cambodia for a number of months and never had a problem. And the river does look very clean (as compared to the Murray or Murumbidgee) and the scenery is beautiful (I did a two day cruise on a family boat down the Mekong). In fact, the tastiest fish I've ever had was a BBQ'd mekong fish in Laos with salt and spices rubbed into the skin and coriander and other herbs stuffed into the inside.

Soriminah, i'd like to know where this article came from.
I'm sensing some kind of rival company stirring shit and wanting them out of business...

The reason is, i have been eating this fish for a very long time. It's easy to cook and doesn't stink or have that off putting fishy smell which is the main reason for my choice.

Regarding that bit about it giving you all those symptoms, i've never had one.
In fact, another reason i stick with this for most of my meals is actually BECAUSE of my weak stomach.
It's so easy to digest for me, and as plain as it tastes, i love it because i know i won't get ANY stomach discomfort from it after i finish my meal.

I don't believe the article because of my first hand experiances and even more so if this is one of those email forwards.

I'm with MO on this one. I've been eat 500g of basa per day for quite some time now. I have a very weak stomach, can't have overly strong flavoured protein powders, can't even stomach ANY pre-made pre-workout formulas, I have to make my own. There are many foods that disagree with me too. I'm also not a fan of fish. Basa is one of the only fish I actually don't mind the taste of, and is easy on my digestive system. Plus it's easy to cook, and I can get it for $7-8 per kilo.

As I said it was just from an email I got. Personally I don't eat fish. Never have.

I been eating Basa for years. Just got a kilo for $5 at IGA... never had a problem... though there is a rumor in Cairns that it is grown in a poo farm, but then at least its organic

Originally Posted by Pete789

though there is a rumor in Cairns that it is grown in a poo farm, but then at least its organic

hehehe they should play up the poo farm angle and get it poo certified lol