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Findus Crumbed Fish Fingers | Chewsday Review

It’s no sea-cret that I’ve mourned the loss of Jamie Oliver Brilliant Fish Fingers from the supermarket shelves. In today’s Chewsday Review, find out if these Findus Fish Fingers get my o-fish-ial tick of approval or if they’re a load of pollocks. Wow, I am nailing these puns lately…

Ingredients

White Fish (62%), Breadcrumb Coating*, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Oil or Rapeseed Oil). *Breadcrumb Coating (Wheat Flour, Water, Potato Starch, Salt, Paprika Powder, Yeast, Turmeric).
The type of fish used in Findus Fish Fingers isn’t specified on the packaging, but the brand website indicates that it is pollock. This is the same fish used in Jamie Oliver’s Brilliant Fish Fingers. It’s a member of the cod family, commonly eaten in the UK and a good source of n-3 fats (previously known as omega 3).
Paprika powder and turmeric are used to give the crumbs a golden colour.
Allergens: fish, wheat, gluten.

Positives

At 62%, the fish content of Findus Fish Fingers is close to the old Jamie Oliver Brilliant Fish Fingers (65%) and higher than Birds Eye Fish Fingers (51%). Most fish fingers are between 50-60% fish, with those with lower fish content having more starch-based fillers.
Saturated fat is low at 1.0g per 100g. This is slightly higher than Birds Eye and Jamie Oliver, but still well within guidelines.
Findus Fish Fingers have no added sugar, with a low sugar content of 0.9g/100g. Most other fish fingers on the market have some added sugar, as do some chicken nuggets, which is a bit surprising for a savoury product.
The sodium content (252mg per 100g) is similar to other fish fingers, and falls below our target of less than 400mg per 100g. This is much lower than most chicken nuggets, which are often over 400-500mg sodium per 100g.
Findus Fish Fingers are a good source of n-3 fatty acids, providing 125mg per serve of 4 fish fingers. This is three times the general recommendations for daily n-3 intake for 1-3 year olds, and more than double the daily recommendation for older children.
Sustainably sourced, qualifying for the MSC blue fish tick label.

Negatives

Marketing

‘Made with 100% fish fillet, wild caught’. I find this a little misleading. Whilst all of the fish component is made of fish fillet (instead of fish guts?!), the fish content of the actual finger is only 62%, with the crumb coating making up the rest.
‘No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives’. Original.
‘So delicious they’ll have every member of the family asking for more… empty plates guaranteed’. They clearly don’t know that you can never make a guarantee with a toddler!

Alternatives

Overall, Findus Fish Fingers are a decent option for a quick and easy dinner. They rate better than most other crumbed freezer products in terms of salt, sugar and saturated fat, and have the extra benefit of n-3 fatty acids.
Another option is Birds Eye Fish Fingers, but these have a lower fish content and added sugar.
Keep in mind that whole fish is always a great, nutritious option whenever you can choose it. For children sensitive to variation in flavour and texture, fish fingers can be a first step in working towards crumbed fish and then plain fish.