Love eating salmon?

[Deja Q]

From compuserve:



Love Salmon? There's Scary News

Farm-raised salmon, which is the kind commonly sold in grocery stores, contain significantly more cancer-causing chemicals than salmon that are caught in the wild, warn researchers from the University at Albany in New York, who tested 700 salmon worldwide.

A color additive that turns farmed salmon orange and hens' eggs a deep yellow has been banned by the European Union over fears it damages people's eyesight.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration insists the levels of 13 pollutants found in salmon are too low for serious concern, this new international study shows that farm-raised salmon have enough dioxins and other potentially cancer-causing pollutants that the researchers are cautioning consumers to eat salmon no more than once a month. The Associated Press reports that the average dioxin level in farmed-raised salmon was as 11 times higher than that in wild salmon--1.88 parts per billion compared with 0.17 ppb. For PCBs, the average was 36.6 ppb in farm-raised salmon and 4.75 in wild salmon.

(snip)

Answers to the big questions:
Where is most of the salmon farmed that we eat in the United States? Chile. And that's good news. The pollutant level in Chilean salmon was not too much higher than that found in some wild-caught salmon, notes AP.

Where are these contaminants coming from? The feed, which is made of fish oil and meal from just a few species of ocean fish. This concentrates the ocean contaminants to which the farm-raised salmon are exposed. Wild salmon eat a greater variety. When any fish or animal absorbs these pollutants, they are stored as fat and not secreted. So if the fish has the contaminates in its fat and the fish is eaten by a human, the contaminants that were in the fish are then stored in the human's fat. However, the salmon farming industry points out that all the pollutant levels are well within the FDA's legal limits, notes AP.

Will the farmers change the feed? Many salmon farmers in the United States, Canada, and Chile doing just that. But it's a slow process. Instead of using fish oil in the salmon feed, they are switching to soybean oil and canola oil, which don't have the pollutants.
What level of pollutants is considered safe? The government does not have one set level of dioxins and PCBs that is considered safe in foods.

(snip)

What can you do as a consumer? Until the farmers change the feed they use, your best bet is to buy wild salmon. Wild salmon sells for about $15 a pound, compared with $4 to $5 a pound charged for farm-raised salmon.

Will cooking help remove pollutants? If you do eat farm-raised salmon, the FDA recommends cutting off the skin and grilling it. This will remove a significant amount of PCBs, dioxins, and other pollutants stored in the fish fat.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Want vegetarian recipes? Visit vegsource.com

Want vegetarian recipes? Visit vegsource.com

It has message boards where you can ask about recipes, ideas, read FAQ, etc.

http://vegsource.com

[Intelsucks]

2. Damn, that's my favorite kind of fish!

And just when you thought you ran out of things to worry about.:shrug:

[Catfish]

3. I love salmon

but wasn't happy about that report at all. I can't get wild salmon here and online it is way too expensive. I don't really like meat and the other fish I like, catfish and trout, are farmed as well. Except for vegetables from your own garden, there seems to be some problem with all the food we have available.

[bahrbearian]

4. I eat Wild Alaskan Salmon

[Mikimouse]

9. Me too! Best in the world without exception...

had mine processed at Alaska Seafood and Sausage in Anchorage. Mmmmm, Lemon Pepper King...Mmmmm

[wtmusic]

13. Best salmon I ever had

was in Fairbanks at the Salmon Bake.

Alaskans do salmon right! (love Captain Jack's smoked salmon in a can, too)

[Catfish]

16. I've never been to Alaska

but had great wild salmon in Washington State, much better than any I'd had before or since.

[Mikimouse]

17. Fairbanks State Fair 2000, Sand Hill Cranes

everywhere, and corn dogs that put those in the pwer 48 to shame. I would go back permanently without a second's hesitation.

[pippin]

5. Maybe after what Cheny has been doing

(duck and pheasant hunting) there'll be a push for us to eat duck along with some guru-type doctor's advice as to how healthy it is for all of us to eat pheasant instead of slamon. <sarcasm>

[wtmusic]

6. Sear it on one side in an ovenproof skillet,

flip it and throw it in a 500° oven for 5 minutes,
deglaze skillet with a little white wine,
apply reduced wine to salmon,
apply salmon to tongue,

and you won't care what's inside it! :-) (j/k)

[OneTwentyoNine]

7. Isn't that the other pink meat? Heh he.....

Anyone that listens to Bob and Tom will know what this is about....


David

[hlthe2b]

8. I subscribe to an Alaskan wild salmon (canned or frozen)

monthly delivery. It IS more expensive, but it does taste much better and if you eat it regularly, the subscription saves lots of $$.

It is encouraging to hear that most of our farmed salmon are coming from safer areas. And I will still buy fresh farmed salmon from time to time. Moderation, I guess.

I still love that packaged tuna, which also has signifant mercury issues.

But, when you weight the health benefits of fish against the tiny risks of these pollutants, I think its a no-brainer...

[Catfish]

10. I agree

with your risk assessment but if the fish farmers would change their feed, that would be great. I eat canned tuna about once a week, maybe that's too often.

[hlthe2b]

14. Yes... good news on the food, if that indeed is the problem

Once a week is considered safe levels, even for those most vulnerable (pregnant women and young children) so not to worry.

[supernova]

22. What suscription service

do you use? I'm curious about the cost. Do you have to order quite a lot to make it worthwhile?

[hlthe2b]

23. Well, I'm eating salmon at least every other day

for the omega 3 benefits that is dramatically helping my mental concentration, joint pain, and I think my hormonal fluctuations. So, for me the 24 cans of 7.5 oz/month makes sense and I pay no shipping. As I said, I will occasionally buy fresh farmed salmon to grill, so I don't usually buy anything but the canned. I usually eat it on salads or make curried salmon to eat over brown rice and veggies.

Since I've kicked my carb cravings, I'm happier eating routine foods and no longer really look for so much dramatic variety in my diet, although I really do vary my veggies.


At any rate, I buy from : http://www.vitalchoice.com/index.cfm

[supernova]

11. I love salmon and this is distressing news

It's the same with cattle.

Whatever gave people the idea it was ok to feed animal parts back to the very same animals who aren't normally cannibalistic? I find that concept puzzling.

Until I hear that they have changed the feed completely, I will look for wild salmon.

[Catfish]

15. Yes

This feeding of animal parts back to the same animals is horrendous to me. They do it with many dog and cat foods as well. Not only that but they use sick and diseased animals.

[Bertha Venation]

12. sigh... the latest from the United States of BOO!

eom

[AngryAmish]

18. I like catching salmon

[Overkil]

19. Wild Alaska Salmon........

I go up to Kodiak, AK every August and catch my own. That's even more expensive than ordering online but is sure is good. Best served chilled (raw) dipped in wasabi sauce. Nice & velvety.

[IronLionZion]

20. Wild Salmon has mercury

Shit, I love Salmon. This and mad cow too. And I could never be a vegetarian. Maybe its time to start raising my own food?

Why isn't this stuff regulated more?

[hlthe2b]

21. Actually most wild salmon from Alaska has very little mercury...

Depends on where caught, but those testing results are available. The company I deal with provides annual testing results and I pay close attention.

[pippin]

24. which company is that?

could you share their web site?

[hlthe2b]

25. see my post #23

[HuckleB]

26. The news about farm raised salmon has been around for some time.

Stick with wild salmaon -- tastes better anyway.