European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 28, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 tuna a multiplicity of choices by Marian Burros new York times t he makers of the first no Salt added canned tuna previewed their product at launch several years ago. Most of the guest were certain afterwards that someone had sabotaged their efforts. The tuna that was prepared and presented was fishy dry and singularly unappealing. But dedicated Cooks soon Learned that with ingenuity Salt free tuna could be turned into a respectable salad or Sandwich. And despite those first discouraging efforts canned tuna without Salt or with less Salt is becoming increasingly common. On a recent Stop at the tuna Section of a supermarket the number of Low sodium and no Salt added tuna products was astounding. In the last five years there have been changes that affect the can itself the nutrition Labelling serving sizes and varieties from which to choose. In a slightly larger than Normal Manhattan supermarket there were nine different canners represented by 3 /4-ounce cans 12%-ounce cans and 6vi or 7-ounce cans. Not so Long ago the 7-ounce size was Standard but Little by Little canners have been switching to 6v4 ounces with no commensurate drop in Price within the last five year most of the canners. Including the three largest Bumble Bee Chicken of the sea and Star kist. Have been switching from three piece cans top Bottom and sides with Lead soldered seams to two piece seamless cans the Bottom and sides Are made of one piece. It has been More than 10 years since health professionals sought the change because the Lead soldered seams leak Lead into the tuna. Of the nine brands four Are still being sold in three piece cans season Geisha Progresso and s & w. Progresso said its newer cans Are made without the Lead solder seam. A spokesman for one of the companies explained Why the Lead soldered cans Are still being used it costs Many Many thousands of dollars to retool. I personally Don t know when the Plant that cans our tuna will change  at de from the Type and Lize of can there Are Many other decisions to be made. Tuna comes in solid White in Oil chunk White in Oil chunk Light in Oil solid Light in Oil chunk Light in water chunk White in water solid White in water chunk Light with 50 percent less Salt chunk White very Low  chunk White with 60 percent less Salt and diet chunk White. The designation of solid which is the same As fancy Means that there Are Large pieces chunk Means smaller pieces flaked or grated Means Small bits. But sometimes there appears to be no difference Erma Bombeck Between solid and chunk. White meat tuna must always be albacore. Ii is considered the choicest of the Tunas because it is the least fishy tasting. It is the most expensive because it is the most scarce. The so called Light tuna beige Brown with a deep Pink cast is usually either yellow Fin or Skipjack both with a More pronounced fish taste. Despite inroads made by water packed tuna the Oil packed variety remains the Best seller. The ingredients Are some combination of Oil and Salt and More often than not Hydro lived protein and or pyrophosphate. Had rolled protein is a flavor enhancer. Pyrophosphate is used to prevent the formation of Struvie. Which can occur in while meat tuna. Struvie is a harm less crystalline substance but Consumers occasionally confuse it with pieces of Bone or shards of Glass. The Oil most frequently used is soybean. On Occa Sion it is cottonseed. And in the Case of Progresso. An italian style tuna Olive Oil. The amount of Salt can also vary and the s & w tuna was by far the Salties. Oil packed tuna can contain anywhere from two to 2v? times More calories than tuna packed in water and As much As 10 times More fat. But it is not always easy to make comparisons. While most cans suggest two ounces As a serving size a Eft ounce can of Chicken of the sea chunk White meat was designated As a single portion. A spokesman for the company said it was in the process of changing its labels so that two ounces would be the suggested serving size. In addition several companies Geisha. S & w. Season. Bumble Bee and Progresso among them provide no nutrition information. A Bumble Bee spokesman said with Tho exception of the smallest cans 3\ t ounces allot the tuna packed after August 19 have nutrition Labelling. Irving Brodwin senior  manager of Progresso Quality foods said quite candidly it never occurred to us to put nutrition Labelling on. The tuna is packed in Olive Oil. And it appeals primarily to italians Tor use in  people choose water packed tuna because they Are considerably lower in calories than Oil packed Tunas. And they contain virtually no fat. They Are usually seasoned with vegetable Broth. Sail and Hydro lived protein and or pyrophosphate. Those that Are Low in sodium contain just tuna and water. With the exception of Bumble Bee. Nutrition information was available on each can of water picked tuna purchased. The number of calories is approximately the same in All the products. Which tuna to choose for making a salad or a Sand wich depends on whether fat calorie or sodium con sumption Are a consideration. The next consideration is appearance while meat tuna is More attractive looking. But there Are some Light meat Tunas especially those packed in water that table no different irom while meat tuna alter they Are combined with the requisite Mayonnaise and Choice of condiments. It in t Alv ays necessary to buy the most expensive tuna to get the Best results. Every time i go to a shopping mall i get sinking feeling that no one will Ever hear from me  s the same chill that passes Over me when i see the same cars in the parking lot weekend after weekend. The tires Are soft. The License plates have expired. The Goldwater for president bumper sticker on the Edsel seems dated. The cars seem abandoned somehow. The other Day my worst fears were realized. I read a Story in which a mall architect said our biggest complaint from shoppers is getting lost in the mall but that is our intent. We Are trying to entice people to enter the mall and keep them  did you hear that Wake up America before it s too Latel these designers Aren t going to Stop until every Man. Woman and child in this country is milling around with glazed eyes and egg Money in their hands wandering from shoe store to cheese shop. These Concrete mazes did t just happen. First planners studied people who lived in the suburbs. They discovered they were people with virtually no social life and no stimuli. They read they watched television and for two weeks every year they went on vacation. They needed a place to cruise without cars. The shopping Center was born. Today there Are 23,000 shopping centers. No mat Ter what time of Day you go to them there Are 17,000 cars in the parking lot and 17,000 drones inside walk ing around with hollow eyes picking up greeting cards and putting them Back holding up to shirts or watching video games Flash on and off. There is a shopping Center near where i live that is so big 35 football Fields can fit inside. The Only Way i can gel my husband there is to Tell him 35 games Are being played at the same time. After walking for 20 Miles he says what Are we Here for i Tell him. I m never  he says Aren t you going to buy something i never do. There Are too Many  then Why do you come it s a  i say. A research mouse was set Loose in Here six years ago. They found him the other Day with a pair of wedgies and a Bee gees record. He was Only three stores away from an exit sign hidden behind a potted Palm. That s what happens when you  Erma Bombeck is on vacation. This is a repeat of one of her favorite columns it los Ano Elei Tolmei Syndicate