Trident Seafoods FAQ

Wild Alaska Pollock Information

Curious about Wild Alaska Pollock? Read below for common questions and answers about the most-consumed fish in the U.S.

What type of fish is Wild Alaska Pollock?

A cousin to cod, Wild Alaska Pollock is one of the most-consumed fish in the U.S. It is a mild-flavored white fish with a soft, delicate and flaky texture when cooked. Also known as the Walleye Pollock, it differs from the larger, oilier Atlantic pollock, which is actually a different species.

Is Wild Alaska Pollock healthy?

Yes, Wild Alaska Pollock is one of the healthiest and safest fishes you can consume. It is rated low for levels of mercury and other environmental contaminants, making its consumption safe for people of all ages and pregnant women. It is low-calorie, and a great source of—one 4 oz serving is only 89 calories and provides 19g of protein and 70mg of Omega-3.

Can I consume Wild Alaska Pollock if I’m pregnant?

Yes, because Wild Alaska Pollock is rated low for levels of mercury, it is a safe and healthy choice for pregnant women. The FDA lists Wild Alaska Pollock as one of the best fish choices for pregnant women, with recommended consumption of 2-3 servings each week.

Is Wild Alaska Pollock sustainable?

Yes, all U.S.-caught Wild Alaska Pollock is sustainably managed and harvested under strict U.S. regulations. We require any product passing under Trident ownership to comply with fisheries and trade regulations that discourage illegal harvest conduct or fraudulent supply chain activity. We’re committed to helping maintain safe and sustainable fisheries and seafood across all of our products.

How is Wild Alaska Pollock caught?

All of our Wild Alaska Pollock is caught by mid-level trawlers off the shores of Alaska in the northern Pacific Ocean. Our fleet of state-of-the art fishing vessels ensures that every fish is caught, prepared, and frozen right onboard, within minutes of capture.

What does Wild Alaska Pollock taste like?

When fully cooked, Wild Alaska Pollock has a mild flavor and soft texture. Its taste and texture are similar to cod, but more delicate—perfect for pairing with light sauces and your favorite herbs and spices.

How do you cook Wild Alaska Pollock?

Wild Alaska Pollock is a very versatile fish! Depending on the product you purchased, there’s a variety of ways you can enjoy it. If you’re preparing Wild Alaska Pollock Fillets, we recommend cooking from frozen with your preferred method such as pan-fry, conventional oven, grill or barbeque. The following are general cooking recommendations for Wild Alaska Pollock Fillets (individual products may reflect cooking variations):

Pan-fry: Preheat a nonstick pan to medium-high, add a thin layer of oil and fry for about 5 minutes on each side.
Conventional oven: Preheat oven to 425°F, place fillets on a lightly greased baking sheet and top with your favorite sauce or seasonings. Bake fillets for 13 to 16 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Grill or Barbeque: Preheat grill to medium-high heat (375°F), spray fillets with oil, place on grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
Indoor Grill: Preheat grill to high heat (400°F), spray fillets with oil, place on grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

For best results, add your favorite seasoning or sauce before baking your fillets in the oven or after flipping when pan-frying or grilling. To check if your fish is fully cooked, use a cooking thermometer—internal temperature should be at least 165°F.

Cooking a different Wild Alaska Pollock product? Try Alaska Pollock Tacos for your Skillet Cuts or view our full collection of fish-tastic recipes.

How Can I Tell if I’ve Purchased Genuine Wild Alaska Pollock?

Only Genuine Wild Alaska Pollock products are quickly processed and frozen within hours of the catch, either aboard the vessel or in nearby land-based facilities. Other non-Alaska Pollock products are typically frozen once at sea, then thawed and processed later and frozen a second time, which creates water loss and can negatively affect the taste and texture of the finished product. Learn more about what defines Genuine Wild Alaska Pollock.

Protein Noodles

Where can I buy Protein Noodles?

Protein Noodles are currently only available at select Costco Wholesale locations. Find out if a Costco near you has Protein Noodles in stock.

Interested in purchasing Protein Noodles for Foodservice? Learn more.

How are Protein Noodles made?

We use only 8 simple, all-natural ingredients starting with the finest Wild Alaska Pollock that’s caught and processed within hours of harvest. We filet and puree the Wild Alaska Pollock, then add sea salt and a touch of sugar to lock in the just-caught freshness of the sea. Because we use tapioca and potato starch, our noodles are gluten-free.

Although our Protein Noodles begin with Wild Alaska Pollock, they are completely flavor-neutral. To bring you this flavor-neutral noodle with a pleasing texture and firm bite we use a proprietary process.

Here’s how it works:

Pureed Alaska Pollock – also known as surimi – is combined with 7 ingredients, then homogenized and blended under vacuum. This ensures a noodle with a smooth and consistent texture.
Next, we extrude the surimi into a noodle form similar to a rice noodle or fettucine pasta.
We then cook the noodle. Instead of using hot water, we use infrared heat and steam to cook them in order to prevent sogginess and ensure fresh artisan quality.
After they’re cooked, we cut and package the noodles while they are still warm, then pasteurize them to ensure food safety.
Finally, we freeze or chill the noodles, depending on which final product form, in order to lock in freshness for you to enjoy, or serve to your guests.

What do Protein Noodles taste like?

The noodles are made using Wild Alaska Pollock, which has a mild, delicate taste. Although they are made from fish, there is nothing fishy about these noodles. They are flavor neutral and work well with a variety of sauces/seasonings.

What is the shelf-life of Protein Noodles?

The shelf-life is 120 days from production. The Protein Noodles should be consumed by The Use By date stamped on the package.

Can the Protein Noodles be frozen?

Because it will likely cause overall quality changes, we do not recommend freezing the Protein Noodles.

How do I prepare the Protein Noodles?

Protein Noodles are fully cooked. Simply thaw, prepare and serve. Because they are already cooked, the noodles only need to be heated for a few minutes when adding to hot dishes such as stir-fries, soups and casseroles. Over-heating such as boiling and long simmering can negatively affect the texture and flavor of the noodles.

Hot Preparation

Skillet: Heat Protein Noodles and 1 tsp of water in a skillet over medium/medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until heated all the way through.

Boil: Place thawed Protein Noodles in boiling water for approximately 45 seconds to heat thoroughly. Drain and Prepare with your favorite sauce.

Microwave: Place Protein Noodles in a microwave safe bowl. Cover. Heat on high for 1 minute. Allow to sit covered for 1 minute.

Cool Preparation

Thaw: Thaw first then empty Protein Noodles into a bowl. There’s no need to rinse the noodles before adding them to your favorite recipes.

Need some inspiration? Browse our Protein Noodle recipes.

Are Protein Noodles gluten-free?

Yes, Protein Noodles are gluten-free.

Are the Protein Noodles healthy?

Our Protein Noodles are made with 8 all-natural ingredients. They are also high in protein, low-carb, low-calorie, non-GMO, and gluten-free. Each 3 oz serving contains 10 g protein, 70 calories, 7 carbs, 0 g fat, and 70 mg Omega-3.

Protein Noodles are a great alternative to traditional noodles and grain-based pastas, especially for people on paleo or keto diets and/or participating in the Weight Watchers program (one serving of Protein Noodles is only 1 WW point).

What are the ingredients in Protein Noodles?

Wild Alaska Pollock
Egg Whites
Water
Tapioca Starch
Cane Sugar
Sea Salt
Potato Starch
Citric Acid

Are they safe to consume while pregnant?

Yes, all ingredients in Protein Noodles are safe to consume while pregnant. In fact, Protein Noodles are made with Wild Alaska Pollock—a low-mercury fish recommended for pregnant women by the FDA.

Is the fish used in the Protein Noodles sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Yes, Protein Noodles are made using Wild Alaskan Pollock—the most sustainable and abundant species on the planet. All U.S.-caught Wild Alaskan Pollock are responsibly harvested under strict government regulations.

Is Wild Alaska Pollock a halal and/or kosher fish?

Yes! Wild Alaska Pollock have both fins and scales.

Do I need to be concerned about mercury or PCBs?

The great news is that, because Alaska is thousands of miles away from large sources of pollution, these distances, combined with the Earth’s patterns of circulation of water and air, help to ensure that Alaska’s waters are among the cleanest in the world. Alaska’s seafood is rated LOW in concerns regarding contamination by pesticides, petroleum derivatives, PCBs, metals, and bacteria.

Is the fish used wild or farmed?

Wild Alaska Pollock is caught in the wild. And in many cases, it is processed right on board our ships.

Other Helpful Information

Read below for answers to some of our most popular FAQs.

Is it OK to consume fish past the expiration date on the package?

Trident Seafoods uses two types of expiration dates on its products: Best By and Use By.

BEST BY date is an advisory date and refers to the timeframe we believe the quality of the product will be at its best. As long as the product has been stored properly, it will remain safe to eat, but may lose flavor and/or texture once it passes this date.
USE BY date is a food safety date and refers to the time in which the product must be consumed.

How do I know if the fish I purchased is wild or farmed?

With the exception of tilapia items, all our retail products are made using wild-caught seafood.

I found what looks like glass in my canned salmon?

What you are likely seeing are naturally occurring crystals called magnesium ammonium phosphate. If consumed, the crystals are completely safe; they are easily digested and absorbed by the body as simply as the mineral matter of any food. While the occurrence is moderately common in canned seafood, it is relatively rare that crystals of a large enough size to be noticed are formed.

Do your products contain MSG?

FDA requires that foods containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging as monosodium glutamate. While we do not add MSG to our retail products, some items such as yeast extract and soy extract may contain naturally occurring monosodium glutamate. Because we are aware that these ingredients are of interest to some consumers, we clearly list them in the ingredient statement when they are included.

Does your packaging contain BPA?

We are aware of the concerns to some consumers surrounding the use of Bisphenol A (BPA). We do not use epoxy-based materials (the cause for potential Bisphenol A generation) in any of our packaging.

Where can I buy Trident Seafoods products?

Trident Seafoods products are available across the country! Use our Store Locator to find Trident Seafoods products near you. You can also filter for specific products to see if your local store carries exactly what you’re looking for.

Is the product I bought fully cooked?

It depends on the product you purchased:

FROZEN ITEMS During production there is a processing step where the product is sprayed (or quickly dunked) with a light coating of very hot cooking oil. This makes the product “oven friendly”, but it is not a fully cooked item and should be treated as a raw product.
CANNED ITEMS Our canned salmon is fully cooked and completely edible, right out of the can.
SMOKED ITEMS Our smoked salmon products are ready to eat right out of the package. Our Hot Smoked and Retort Smoked (shelf-stable) products are fully cooked. While cold-smoked salmon is ‘ready to eat’, it is not fully-cooked.

I own a restaurant or food-service operation and would like to use Trident Seafoods products. What do I do?

Send us an email at sales@tridentseafoods.com and we’ll help you find the right products for your menu. Browse options, recipes and promotions in the Food Service section of our website.

How can I learn more about Trident’s policies and commitments?

Here is a selection of some of our most frequently requested policies and commitments.

I have a question that wasn’t answered here. Who can I contact?

Visit our contact form options, email us at ConsumerAffairs@TridentSeafoods.com, or give us a call at 1-866-413-4749. Our Consumer Affairs team is happy to help!