Farm-Raised or Wild Salmon, Which is Best?

You are convinced that you should consume more fish especially oily fish. You go to the fish market or local grocery store to pick up some salmon for tonight’s dinner. There you are faced with a choice of farm-raised or wild-caught salmon. Wild caught must be better for me and it must be better for the environment. Right? Let’s take a closer look at which type of salmon you should choose.

• There have been some reports in the media about dangers of farm-raised salmon being higher in the contaminant PCB. PCB levels in both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon vary widely depending on farming practices and where the fish are caught. There are PCBs in both farm and wild salmon, neither have levels above what is recommended by the FDA. The benefits outweigh the risks in both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon (1).
  

• Another concern with fish is mercury. Both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon consistently rate among the fish with the lowest mercury levels (2).
  

• Farm-raised and wild-caught salmon both provide similar amounts of healthy omega-3 fatty acids (3,4).
  

• Farm-raised salmon is available year round and can be half the price of wild-caught salmon. Currently, farm-raised salmon accounts for about 50% of world-wide consumption. As more people choose salmon for health or for taste, there could be a danger of waters becoming over fished, thus a supply of farm-raised salmon would be necessary to meet consumer demand (5).
  

Now that we know the facts, let’s get back to your choice at the fish market. Do you choose farm-raised or wild-caught salmon? If the wild-caught salmon looks good and fits your food budget – go for it. The same holds true for the farm-raised. If it looks fresh and is a good value, have the fishmonger wrap it up. You cannot lose by choosing either farm-raised or wild-caught. Both provide heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Throw the salmon on the grill (farm or wild) add a squeeze of lemon and dill and enjoy your dinner.

References:

1. Foran JA, Good DH, Carpenter DO, Hamilton MC, Knuth BA, Schwager SJ. Quantitative analysis of the benefits and risks of consuming farmed and wild salmon. J Nutr. 2005;135:2639-2643.

2. Food and Drug Administration. Mercury levels in commercial fish and shellfish. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm [Accessed: June 25, 2009].

3. Hamilton MC, Hites RA, Schwager SJ, Foran JA, Knuth BA, Carpenter DO. Lipid composition and contaminants in farmed and wild salmon. Environ Sci Technol. 2005; 39(22):8622–8629.

4. Blanchet C, Lucas M, Julien P, Morin R, Gingras S, Dewailly E. Fatty acid composition of wild and farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Lipids. 2005;40(5):529–531.

5. Borresen T. Understanding the consumer’s perception of aquaculture. J Aquatic Food Product Tech. 2009;181:191-192.

Browse related Articles by tag: families food fitness, prepare and eat more meals at home