Jim and Shirley Zuanich started Pure Alaska Salmon Company in 2005 Sadly, Jim died in 2014, so Shirley has continued operation of Pure Alaska since that time. At the time of his passing Jim had commercially fished for salmon in Alaska for over 50 years. Sons Nick and Andy now fish for all types of seafood in Alaska and Washington state. The Zuanich family of Pure Alaska Salmon Company LLC, has a very long fishing history. Our Croatian ancestors fished the Adriatic Sea for centuries. We have continued this tradition, fishing the pristine waters of Alaska for over a hundred years. An anthropology professor cousin speculates that Zuaniches have fished for over 1,000 years!
We started Pure Alaska Salmon Company LLC because we knew what a great product canned wild Alaska salmon is, and we wanted to try our hand at marketing it. You can read more about us in the ABOUT US section.
You betcha, it wouldn’t be any other way! We commercially fish in Alaska, and have for decades. The Alaska salmon industry was the first in the nation to be awarded the Marine Stewardship Council award for stewardship and sustainability. The highly respected Monterrey Bay SEAWATCH program puts wild Alaska salmon as one of ten “Super Foods.” Numerous other authorities put Alaska salmon as a Best Choice for consumers to enjoy. Visit our sustainability page here for the environmental groups that endorse the Alaska salmon fishery.
Redhead wild sockeye salmon are caught in either gill nets or set nets. Think Pink pink salmon are caught in purse seines nets.
Noting the environmental accolades discussed on our Sustainability page, all fishing methods used in Alaska win a green light from authorities who have studied such issues and have deemed them environmentally sound fishing practices. Gill netting and purse seining, as done in Alaska, are very selective and low impact fisheries. Jim Zuanich, in over 50 years of running a purse seine boat estimated that he killed a total of three birds and no marine mammals.
The Alaska salmon industry and the skilled biologists who manage it, consistently win top awards for the stewardship of this great national resource. The State of Alaska constitution mandates that the fisheries be managed first and foremost for the health of the fish runs and the environment. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the fishing fleet scrupulously honor this mandate. So, in addition to all of the health attributes, you can enjoy wild Alaska canned salmon with confidence.
You would be hard pressed to find a protein, or any food that matter, as fine as Alaska salmon. It is an incredible marriage of nutritious-ness and delicious-ness (and let’s not forget convenience and purity!) that is also an abundant and sustainable wild resource of the United States. Lastly,the Alaska salmon industry provides thousands of good jobs at every phase of production.
Great food, unmatched nutrition, accessible to everyone, reasonably priced, and guilt free eating, who could ask for more! For those folks who are conscious of animal welfare, as we are at Pure Alaska Salmon Company LLC, but who aren’t ready to entirely give up meat, take heart that wild Alaska salmon have pretty much enjoyed a fully truly natural life cycle in an environment that is pristine.
All wild Alaska canned salmon is a great food choice; of that there is no doubt. We get our salmon from the same magnificent resource as all other Alaska salmon, whether it expensive or not. It is all very, very low mercury and it is all very, very nutritious. Alaska salmon equally nourishes those of us with extra money and those of us without.
However, being a wild product, there are distinct and nuanced variations in quality. Those variations have to do with the stage of the run, how crammed the canneries are, and where the fish are caught. There are many natural conditions that affect the taste and quality of canned salmon. I have likened wild salmon to wine in that aspect. As a fishing family, we have a closer connection to the resource than distribution companies. Pure Alaska salmon is absolute top quality, and we have tried to keep the price affordable and yet worthy of the quality of the protein.
You can read more on this subject in the ABOUT US section.
Supply and demand and a historic bias for red salmon account for the cost differential. We have done blind taste tests, and when people don’t know which fish they are eating, statistically they report a slight preference for pink over red. When tasters state a bias, they generally insist that red is best.
We at Pure Alaska speculate that this preference was established in the days before boat refrigeration, when reds held up in the hatches of fishing boats far better than the more delicate pinks. Admittedly, pink salmon was not a very appetizing food back then. In the past thirty years the bulk of the Alaska salmon fishing fleet has invested in chilled circulating seawater fish holds, and this has vastly increased the quality of canned salmon.
The salmon are pulled directly from the cold, clear waters and put into the chilled seawater fish holds where they remain until processed at the cannery – typically the same day. The quality of all canned wild Alaska salmon has increased immensely, but the lowly pink salmon has really been transformed.
Think Pink salmon is relatively inexpensive; Redhead salmon costs more. When red and pink salmon are pulled fresh from the sea their flesh is, in fact, distinctly red or pink. The cooking process of canning reduces coloration in both. When canned, red (sockeye) salmon are actually reddish pink, and pink salmon looks more like tuna. Red salmon gets its enhanced color from eating krill, a type of small shrimp. Pinks are the most abundant salmon, followed by reds.
Pink salmon, upon hatching, go directly to the sea, whereas red salmon spend over a year in fresh water. Red salmon need a lake or other large body of fresh water in which to grow. The largest red salmon run in the world by far is in Bristol Bay, Alaska, an area uniquely blessed with a system of saltwater bays and freshwater lakes.
The world’s largest wild pink salmon runs are located in Southeast Alaska, which has a mild climate coupled with abundant rainfall, and thousands of short streams running from landfall directly to the sea. Alaska is a very sparsely populated state with little polluting industry.
Nutritionally, the two types are nearly identical. Though all wild salmon are extraordinary sources of Vitamin D, red or sockeye salmon is the king with 795 IU per 3.5 oz serving.
Just a salmon steak and a bit of salt; no oil or water added. When you open the can, there will be quite a bit of oily liquid, but that comes from the fish. Add that wonderful broth to whatever recipe you are using, and whatever remains, share with your grateful pet. Top
As we understand it, the body prefers to use omega-3 fatty acids as cell-membrane building materials. Cell membranes constructed of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (rather than saturated fats) are more elastic and are better able to rest and relax, a crucial cell action. In fact, this “rest and relax” attribute is said to explain why an omega-rich diet greatly reduces cardiac death. Also, cell membranes constructed of omega-3 fatty acids are thought to better transmit electrical impulses through the body and between the cells better than cells constructed of saturated fats. Cell membranes constructed of omega-3’s, have been likened to the superiority of using copper wire, over other metals, to transmit electrical impulses. One theory has it that this superior transmission of electrical impulses between cells is key in cancer prevention as well as in optimizing various other neurological functions. An excellent and comprehensive resource can be found at the following locations:
Alaska Seafood - The Benefits
Are Fish and Plant Omega-3s the Same? (PDF)
The author, Joyce Nettleton, is Harvard educated PhD nutritionist hired by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. She is a very highly regarded scientist, who takes a measured approach.
It is well established that eating fish, especially cold water fatty fish such as Alaska salmon have many profound benefits to heart health and health in general. The American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association, the Arthritis Foundation and the American Diabetes Association would not recommend eating fish, particularly cold water fatty fish, at least two times per week were the benefits not so well documented and compelling.
American Heart Association - Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
In general, people who eat sufficient seafood are healthier than those who don’t.
It is estimated that 90% of the U.S. population does not consume enough omega-3’s.
Prior to the adoption of a more Westernized diet, rates of heart disease and diabetes were very little among Eskimos and Inuit peoples, whose traditional diets were very high in fat. This key observation is the one that clued modern science to the truth about fats, and how they are not all created equal. The following is a list of documented and theorized benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids.
For further information go to:
American Diabetes Association - Diabetes Superfoods
Arthritis Foundation - Best Fish for Arthritis
Alaska Seafood - The Benefits
For further information go to:
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/health/documents/staying_healthy.pdf
Vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods and wild Alaska salmon is one of the richest sources of Vitamin D. It is arguably the most delicious source of Vitamin D.
The flesh of certain fish, such as salmon, and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.
Here is a quick comparison chart, with data supplied by the USDA:
| Redhead, sockeye salmon, 100 g/ 3.5 oz canned | 795 IU |
| Thinkpink, pink salmon, 100 g/ 3.5 oz canned | 466 IU |
| Tuna, white or Albacore, canned in water, 100 g/ 3.5 oz | 80 IU |
| Tuna, chunk light, canned in water, 100g/3.5 oz | 181 IU |
| Mackerel, canned, 100g/3.5 oz | 292 IU |
| Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is in the yolk) | 25 IU |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 oz | 6 IU |
| Milk, 8 oz. nonfat, reduced fat, or whole | 115-124 IU |
IU means International Unit
Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption, maintenance of healthy bones and the optimal function of the neuromuscular and immune systems. It also reduces inflammation in the body. There is much ongoing research being done to identify other functions that Vitamin D plays in the body. Some authorities think that perhaps we need more than the currently recommended dosages.
The following is a table of the recommended in takes of Vitamin D by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) by the National Institute of Health.
| Age | Children | Men | Women | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| Birth to 13yrs | 200 IU | ||||
| 14-18 yrs | 200 IU | 200 IU | 200 IU | 200 IU | |
| 19-50 yrs | 200 IU | 200 IU | 200 IU | 200 IU | |
| 51-70 yrs | 400 IU | 400 IU | |||
| 71+ yrs | 600 IU | 600 IU |
IU means International Unit
For further information go to the following: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ or http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
In 2008, the American Pediatric Academy recommended that children birth to 18 years take in 400 IU’s per day. Breast milk does not supply Vitamin D, therefore breast feeding infants diet should be supplemented with 400 IU’s per day until they are weaned, at which time their diets, be it through Vitamin D enhanced formula or milk or further supplementation should supply 400 IUs of Vitamin D.
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/vitamin_d.htm
Some people can meet their need for Vitamin D through exposure to the sunlight. Generally UV energy available above 42 degrees north latitude (between the northern border of California and Boston) is not sufficient for vitamin D synthesis from November through February, and further north, sunlight may not be sufficient for up to six months of the year. Between the 34 degree latitude (Los Angeles to Columbia, South Carolina) there is enough sunlight year around. But even in these sunny climates there are concerns about skin damage due to over exposure to the sun. Time of day, cloud cover, smog, skin melanin content, and sunscreen are also factors that affect the ability of the body to synthesize Vitamin D from sunlight.
People of all ages and stages, including pregnant moms and babies can eat generous to unlimited amounts of Alaska salmon because there is so little mercury, if any, in Alaska salmon.The State of Alaska has an extensive fish monitoring program. Alaska salmon is tested annually. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration have set the bar at 1 parts per million for mercury in the flesh of fish as a ‘safe’ level. It should be noted that Canada and Japan have set the bar at half that, .5 parts per million. Alaska salmon have less than .05 parts per million, or 20 times less than the lowest level of concern for the U.S. or 10 times less than the lowest level of concern for the more stringent standards set by Canada or Japan. The USDA’s tests of canned salmon simply say, “ND,” or not detectable.
There is evidence that the Vitamin E and selenium found in abundance in Alaska salmon, serves as strong buffers against methyl mercury toxicity.
It is very interesting that hair samples taken with permission from 550 year old mummies of Alaskan Aleut natives were tested for mercury. In all eight individuals, the levels of mercury were about the same or even a little more than Alaskan hair samples tested in recent years. This result tells us that mercury is naturally present in the environment.
For more information:
Alaska Seafood - The Benefits
Alaska Seafood - Weighing the Benefits and the Risks (PDF)
State of Alaska - Eating Fish Safely - Guidelines for Alaska Women and Children (PDF)
Three factors contribute to Alaska wild salmon’s remarkable purity:
People who most need protection from mercury intake are women of child-bearing age and children under the age of three. Mercury is known to cause detrimental and irreversible effects on neurological development in fetuses and young children. This impairment is typically expressed as mild learning and behavioral disorders, although damage can range in severity. For other segments of the population mercury, while always a matter for caution, is not nearly so threatening. In adults merccury is excretable and has not been found to produce irreversible health effects except in cases of extreme exposure. It is believed that most methyl mercury exposure occurs by eating contaminated seafood. An excellent article on the subject of tuna and mercury appeared in the July 2006 Consumers Report or can be read on the web at:
Consumers Reports - Mercury in Canned Tuna
Alaska Seafood - Healthy Mothers - Healthy Babies (PDF)
Tuna is still a great food choice, far better than many other protein choices, in our opinion. We at Pure Alaska Salmon Company LLC do not presume to enter into the controversies over frequency of safe consumption. There are definitely some U.S. companies that sustainably harvest and process an excellent tuna product.
That said, we offer this list of important reasons to consider canned Alaska salmon as an alternative to your familiar preferences. Wild canned Alaska salmon offers:
Canned salmon with salt added has 270 mg sodium per ¼ cup serving. While salt intake is certainly a concern for some consumers, a slice of bread, by comparison, has 240 mg sodium. Pure Alaska also offers a no salt added ThinkPink and Redhead which has 64 mg per ¼ cup serving.
Alaska salmon arrive at the canneries in such huge volumes, in such a short period of time, that the task of skinning and boning would be prohibitive.. Pure Alaska’s skinless & boneless choices are processed fresh, in Alaska, but the majority of skinless, boneless fish of all types, including tuna, are frozen, shipped overseas, thawed, skinned and deboned and then canned again.
Pure Alaska encourages people to embrace those wonderful pure, incredibly nutritious skin and bones. Over 30% percent of the omega-3’s reside in the skin and fatty layer, and the soft digestible bones are rich in calcium. We have sampled salmon to of thousands of people and not a single one has detected the skin and bone in our salmon salad. Like any other meat, the skin and bone also add flavor, and the quality of the product is greatly enhanced by the reduced handling. Freshness is the key to good quality canned salmon.
What look like glass is actually ‘struvite,’ a normal and absolutely natural composite of harmless mineral elements occasionally found in all seafood products when they undergo the canning process. These are the natural constituents that come from the seawater in which fish or shellfish live. The cooking process of canning sometimes acts to combine these minerals in a way which produces crystals. There is no way to predict in which cans the struvite will occur and it is utterly harmless. A quick stir will usually dissolve these crystals.
For more information go to:
Even we who live on fishing boats for prolonged periods, will be taken aback by that ‘fishy’ puff. Like the skin and bone, this is a sign of the wonderful wildness of this magnificent food product.. As wild product there cannot be the uniformity of a genetically modified product, much as one would find with farmed salmon, though the Alaska salmon processers are highly skilled at quality control of this vast national food resource.
We find that keeping a few cans in the refrigerator for use when we are mixing up a salad or a sandwich reduces that puff, and makes for a better recipe result.
Five years after canning is the ‘best by’ date given by the processors. That date is stamped on the bottom of the can. A ‘best by’ date is defined by the USDA as “A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.”
For optimal quality, keep the cans at normal room temperature, and some folks even turn the cans over every few months to keep the juices migrating throughout the contents. Others say, that like fine wine, the salmon improves with age. It is a real miracle that you could go to the middle of the most land locked place on earth, and open that can of salmon, and dig into the finest seafood on earth.
That is why we say “Everybody, everywhere, anytime can enjoy wild Alaska salmon when you buy it in a can.”
Postpartum depression is a very frightening condition, made even worse by the incongruity of deep depression right when new mothers would seemingly be happy and needing to be functioning at tip top.
Shirley Zuanich became even more a believer in wild Alaska salmon 35 years ago when she experienced postpartum depression upon the birth of her second child. That awful period of her life left Shirley with two wonderful gifts — the habits of daily exercise and eating abundant wild Alaska salmon.
Exercise was an obvious antidote to depression, but Shirley thought she was just hopelessly biased in noting that she felt better on the days she ate canned salmon for lunch. Shirley continued to eat canned salmon, and in time got over this phase.
Scientific evidence now provides abundant support for what Shirley blessedly stumbled upon in those dark times. Omega 3 fatty acids have a powerful effect upon brain function, development and mood. She relates that even now, when having a high pressure day, eating salmon at lunch really seems to support her mind and mood in a unique and powerfully beneficial way. Try it.
© Pure Alaska Salmon Co