As a specialty food company taste is paramount! We understand the need for high-quality ingredients and the most stringent safety protocols to protect our customers but, if in the end, it does not taste good the exercise is futile.
In this effort to produce delicious, high-quality seafood products we also take into consideration the multitude of palates, both domestically and internationally, for whom we cook. There are regional and cultural differences in the way most any recipe is prepared.
For this reason, we make our products with the least number of all natural ingredients, no artificial color or flavor enhancers, and no artificial preservatives or chemicals and the least amount of sodium in our attempt to provide the best possible taste profile and result for each recipe.
We are aware our best efforts will not please every palate and thus suggest in our preparation guidelines on the labels that you season and garnish to your preferred taste. You can add a bit more of something, but you can't take it out! We feel this approach provides each customer the opportunity to fully enjoy our products!
We love to hear from you; what you like about our products and any suggestions you might have to make our products better. We review all of them, though we can't promise to implement them all.
Thank you for supporting Bar Harbor Foods!
Atlantic Herring and Sardines contain some of the highest Omega-3 content of any other fish, second only to Atlantic Salmon!
Additionally, fish caught in our area (Gulf of Maine, Northern Atlantic) such as herring and sardines, haddock, and salmon are all in the lowest category of mercury content as opposed to tuna, bluefish, and grouper, which are in the highest category of mercury content.
It is estimated that the combined amount of Omega-3 (from EPA and DHA) in Bar Harbor Herring and Sardines is 600mg per ounce. That means that each 6.7oz can of Bar Harbor Herring Fillets contains approximately 4,020mg of Omega-3!
Additionally, Herring and Sardines are some of the most plentiful fish on the planet and are in the category of least concern for conservation studies. Herring and Sardines have been seen in the Northern Atlantic in schools approximately 1 cubic mile wide containing an estimated 4 billion fish!
In summary, Bar Harbor Herring and Sardines are incredible nutrient rich, safe, and sustainable fish caught right in the cold, clear waters of the Gulf of Maine.
We hope this information encourages you to include Bar Harbor Herring and Sardine Fillets in your regular diet!
Supermarket Survey Confirms Low BPA Levels in Canned Food
A recent supermarket survey of a handful of canned food items by the San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Fund has provided additional evidence that only a tiny amount of bisphenol A (BPA) is detectable in food packaging, and those levels are well within the safety recommendations of government agencies, according to North American Metal Packaging Alliance Inc. (NAMPA), a Washington-based trade association.
The survey results come in the wake of a government study undertaken by a team of scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The comprehensive, first-of-its-kind clinical exposure study, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), found that even the highest exposure levels of BPA from canned foods and beverages didn’t result in detectable amounts in the human bloodstream.
“The EPA-funded study emphatically showed there is not a health risk from BPA exposure in canned foods, because of how the body processes and eliminates the compound from the body, in children as well as adults,” noted Dr. John M. Rost, NAMPA chairman. “Unlike the supermarket survey, the EPA study examined what happens to BPA once in the body, and found that the human body is remarkably efficient in metabolizing and eliminating the chemical through urine. In sum, it is very unlikely that BPA could cause health effects.”
Added: Rost: “The BPA exposure levels cited in this latest supermarket survey are very consistent with similar, but much broader, surveys of packaged food conducted within the past year by government agencies, including the FDA and Health Canada. The only difference is in the conclusions reached. Based on their survey results, both FDA and Health Canada concluded that current exposure through canned foods does not pose a health risk to consumers, including newborns and infants.”
For a review of the EPA-funded serum study, visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21705716.
Yes, all Bar Harbor® canned products are fully cooked and need only to be heated thoroughly, if desired, before eating. They can be stored in your pantry and are guaranteed for quality for three years from the production date, which is listed on the lid of each can. The products require no refrigeration until the can is opened. Once opened it is suggested the products be used within 4-5 dyas and kept refrigerated during that time.
Our condensed soups come with complete preparation suggestions on the label and are best blended with your choice of milk or cream product and gently heated.
Our fancy seafood meats can be consumed directly from the can.
If using our fancy seafood meats, such as Whole Maine Lobster meat, Chopped Clams, Whole MaineCherrystone Clams, etc., in a recipe, it is suggested that you add them last and just heat them to a palatable temperature to avoid over-cooking and toughening of the seafood meats.
We've learned that some customers do not always completely use our 8 oz. (1 cup) bottle of Premium Clam Juice for their recipes and because it is such a premium product, they understandably don't want to throw it away. So we've been asked about storing the unused portion. We recommend storing the unused portion in a sealed glass or plastic container in the refigerator for up to 5 days. To store for longer periods of time simple pour the leftover Clam Juice into an ice tray, freeze and pop the frozen cubes into a freezer bag to keep indefinitely. The next time you need to season your favorite recipe, simply remove as many cubes as needed. However, we do also recommend keeping several bottles of Bar Harbor Premium Clam Juice in your pantry so you never run out!
What are the glass-like crystals sometimes present in canned fish?
On occasion small crystals having some resemblance to pieces of broken glass may be found in canned fishery products. They are colourless, transparent and tasteless. The size varies; sometimes they are so small as to impart only slight “grittiness” to the product, whereas sometimes several crystals up to 0.25" (6 mm) long may be found.
Small struvite crystals, commonly mistaken for pieces of broken glass, are sometimes found in canned fishery products. These naturally occurring particles of magnesium ammonium phosphate are colourless, transparent and tasteless.
Such crystals have been frequently analysed and invariably have been identified as the chemical substance magnesium ammonium phosphate.
These crystals will dissolve in vinegar, heated on the stovetop. This will prove the crystals are not glass.
These crystals are harmless; in fact, the chemical substances in the crystals are necessary in one form or another for normal health. The crystals have about the same hardness as a crystal of ordinary salt; hence they will not injure the enamel of healthy teeth. They are practically insoluble in the saliva of the mouth, but should they be swallowed, no harm will result as they dissolve in the digestive juices of the stomach.
The separate chemical substances capable of uniting to form crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate are always present in the bodies of fishes, animals, and man, but it is only under certain conditions that these substances unite to form crystals. Crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate are found as the naturally occurring mineral “struvite”, and the same substance has also been found in the healthy human body in the tartar film on teeth and elsewhere.
Their crystalline structure renders them sufficiently friable to be readily crushed between the fingernail and a hard surface without scratching the fingernail. They will not actually scratch the surface of an aluminum cooking utensil or copper coin, although they may make a mark on the oxidized surface layer of the metal. Polishing the mark with a cloth will disclose that no actual scratching of the metal has taken place, whereas glass easily scratches these two metals. A convincing test is to place a suspected crystal in a teaspoon, then add vinegar, and heat by means of a match, candle, or cigarette lighter until the acid is hot. The crystals will dissolve, whereas a fragment of glass will not dissolve.
In response to consumer awareness of recent “chemicals of concern”, specifically, Bisphenol-A (BPA), with regard to its use in the manufacturing of interior coatings of metal food containers and metal jar lids…
Whiting, Maine – Look’s Gourmet Food Company is a manufacturer of canned food consumer products, and is aware of the recent concerns that have been brought to the attention of consumers and retailers regarding certain chemicals used in the production of the protective coatings in both metal food containers and metal lids on glass jars.
Bisphenol-A is a chemical used in the production of the coating applied to the interior of food-grade metal containers and lids, the purpose of which is to protect the food from oxidation from direct contact with the metal container or lid. This protective coating has been the approved coating for use in food packaging for several decades, not only by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but also by consumer food safety authorities around the globe. As a food manufacturer complying with the authoritative bodies under which we are regulated, it is our position that until it is proven otherwise by independent scientific data, that the container products we utilize are safe for the packaging of consumer food products.
Look’s Gourmet Food Company has taken a proactive position with the container and chemical industries for data to either further validate the current products’ safety or to work diligently to provide an affordable and equivilant alternative with regard to its purpose.
Recently in the State of Maine, the Senate and the House of Representatives responded to a proposed bill # LD2048, the intent of which was to address consumer concern about the use of certain chemicals of concern and their use in the manufacture of children’s products. The bill’s original intent was to empower the Department of Environmental Protection to identify of a list of potential chemicals of concern and to further determine the di minimus levels that have the potential to pose a threat to consumer health and safety, especially with regard to children. The bill was discovered to be over-reaching and threatened not only the manufacturers of children’s products, but most all consumer products and would put Maine’s consumer products manufacturers, distributors and retailers of these consumer products at potential economic risk.
Currently there are available on the market, alternatives for certain children’s and other consumer products which do not contain the identified chemicals of concern; however, in certain industries, such as canned foods and foods packaged in glass containers with metal lids, adequate availability of alternatives is to date limited and limited to specific uses within the food packaging industry. It was for this reason that amendments to the proposed bill in Maine were modified before passing LD2048 at the end of April 2008.
It is our commitment to maintain close communication with our suppliers and regulatory bodies with regard to this important issue and to maintain a transparent relationship with our customers, of whom their health and safety is our primary concern.
Contact Information:
Cynthia Fisher
VP of Marketing & Quality Assurance
Looks Gourmet Food Company, Inc.
1112 Cutler Road
Whiting, ME 04691
207-259-3341
Chowder is a heartier soup, generally made with potatoes and larger pieces of meat or seafood.
Bisque is soup with no potatoes. The meat or seafood is pureed and blended with a milk or cream base to give it a smooth, creamy consistency.
No. We do not use any artificial preservatives, flavor, or color enhancers in any of our products.
The production date is in Julian Calendar code and reads as follows:
Example: G0466
"G" is an internal code for the product, in this case, Clam Chowder.
The first three numbers "046" stands for the numerical day of the year, the 46th day (divide by 30 and you have the month – February).
The last number stands for the year of production, 2006.
Summary: this product, Clam Chowder was produced in the early part of February, 2006. We also include a "Best By" date in regular month/year format on each product.
