Top News

Salmon is often named as a superfood due to the many health benefits it comes with, including being a source of Omega-3 to boost heart and brain health, while also supporting brain function, offer protective properties, as well as helping us age healthily.

But it's not the cheapest fish option out there. Because of this, many shoppers will opt to buy frozen salmon fillets instead of fresh ones, as these are often cheaper than fresh fillets due to the lower costs of shipping.

While there might be a stigma that frozen foods is not as healthy as fresh food, this has been debunked by experts, as the items are often frozen at their peak quality.

However, if you do buy frozen salmon fillets, you should be aware of how to properly defrost it, as it otherwise could cause you to get severely ill.

Taking to Reddit, one user asked why it's encouraged to remove the individual packaging of frozen fish, after having spotted the note on the packaging.

"Why aren't you supposed to thaw individually packaged frozen fish in the individual package?" the user wondered.

They continued to explain they often store frozen fish in their freezer, and often buy bags of individually portioned fillets which come in their own vacuum sealed plastic pouches.

"The pouch always says to remove from the package before thawing, but I'm curious as to why?" they wondered.

Users quickly came to the rescue with the response, as people were quick to explain that leaving fish to thaw in vacuumed seal packaging could lead to something called botulism.

One user explained: "Botulism. The individual packages lack air and are an ideal growing medium for botulism. If there's botulism present, bringing fish to warmer temps in a low oxygen environment can cause the botulism to multiply. Exposing the fish to air (oxygen) slows down botulism growth."

Botulism is a rare, life-threatening neurological disease caused by toxins from Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which thrive in low-oxygen, improperly canned foods or contaminated wounds.

It causes descending muscle paralysis - starting with facial, eye, and swallowing issues, potentially leading to respiratory failure. Symptoms usually appear within 12-36 hours of exposure, requiring immediate antitoxin treatment to prevent fatality.

People were baffled to learn this, as one user said: "As a guy who plays a little fast and loose with some food safety rules, this feels like some crucial information I somehow have never heard of before."

Someone else said: "Oh my God I never knew this and botulism terrifies me. I buy lots of vacuum packed individual filets and have never opened them up first. Never read anything on the package that said to either. Thank you!"

If you're wanting to defrost fish fillets, the first thing you need to do after taking the fish out of the freezer is to remove the plastic pouches covering each fillet.

Once this is done, place the fish in the refrigerator overnight (12-24 hours) for best texture. For a faster method, submerge sealed fish in a bowl of cold tap water for 30-60 minutes, changing the water halfway.