The Truth about Norwegian Salmon

I was asked the other day - how safe is Norwegian salmon for consumption? 

Farmed salmon  against wild salmon?

The Truth About Norwegian Farm-Raised Salmon

Here's the facts about farm-raised salmon.

Do you know that Norway is the second-largest exporter of seafood? Thus it is not only extremely important  for Norway to  safeguard its environment and fish stocks for its economy - the future and sustainability - it is their priority.

 The Norwegian aquaculture industry has set the standard for high-quality and safe farmed salmon.

Looking at the quality of the fish stock of Norwegian Salmon:

First year of their life, norwegian salmon spends in the safety of a hatchery tank on land until they are large and strong enough for life at sea. 

Maximum freedom to grow and no overcrowding -Checked!

The salmon are thereafter carefully transferred to spacious, protected ocean pens that allow maximum freedom for growth. The Norwegian law requires that salmon make up less than 2.5% of an aquaculture facility’s volume. That means each spacious facility is made up of 97.5% water to allow for maximum comfort and a healthy growth cycle. The net enclosures in which the salmon grow have a circumference of up to 200 meters (650 feet) and a depth of up to 50 meters (165 feet).

Food of Norwegian Salmon The Pink of Health

They eat better than many of us! Their food is an all‐natural diet comprising both raw vegetable and raw marine material like fish oil and fish meal from wild fish, plus vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Each kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of salmon requires approximately 1.2 kilograms (2.7 lbs.) of fish feed. In its total lifespan, a salmon will therefore consume 6–7 kilograms (13.2–15.4 lbs.) of fish feed. This is very little compared to other animals. For instance, it takes 3 kilograms (6.6 lbs.) of feed to produce 1 kilogram of pork and as much as 8 kilograms (17.6 lbs.) of feed for 1 kilogram of beef.this guarantees  an  better-tasting fish harvested with sustainability and health in focus.

The Pink of Health

Why is the Norwegian Salmon pink in colour? The pink comes from a natural oxycarotenoid called astaxanthin. In its natural habitat,  salmon receive astaxanthin by eating crustaceans. Astaxanthin acts as an antioxidant and can actually boost human immune response.

Another antioxidant - the ethoxyquin is used as an additive in fish meal to preserve the feed quality during transport. European Regulation 2316/98 authorizes the use of antioxidants such as ethoxyquin in animal feed. Their maximum limit alone or in combination with other antioxidants is set at 150 mg per kilo of feed. In Norway, the content of these antioxidants in farmed fish feed is monitored every year. Recent results from the official Norwegian fish-feed control program showed that ethoxyquin levels were well below the limits set by the EU.

Healthy Norwegian Salmon and Traceability

No medication or antibiotics are administered preventively or as a growth promoter in salmon feed. Norwegian Salmon is controlled according to EU regulations for veterinary residues. Recent results document that Norwegian Salmon is perfectly safe and healthy to eat.

Norway has a traceability system that tracks details about the health and harvesting of salmon and other fish to ensure reliable food safety tracking. 

No Pesticides

The use of endosulfan as a pesticide is banned within the European Union and in Norway, and  is not applied in any way in salmon farming, abiding to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission.

Waste & Environmental Hazards

Norway  has a sustainability policy with the backing of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the FAO as well as working in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). To keep the ecosystem in balance and to protect the cold, clean waters in which Norwegian Salmon thrive naturally, any site used for salmon farming has to rest before a new farming cycle can begin. During this time, the cold, clear waters wash away excess waste. Advancements in auto-feeding technology have thus eliminated excess food waste.

References

1. Lorentzen, G., Siikavuopio, S.I. & Whitaker, R.D. (2016).  Seafood from Norway - Food Safety. Malta Journal of Health Sciences, 29-34. Doi: http://dx.medra.org/10.14614/SEAFOODNORWAY/6/16
2. Seafoodfromnorway.usyour 
3. National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research
4. FDA, ”DIOXINS: FDA Strategy for Monitoring, Method Development, and Reducing Human Exposure,” 2/7/2002
5. Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H, “Health Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption,” 4/5/2011
6. European Food Safety Authority, “Opinion of the Scientific Panel on contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM) related to the safety assessment of wild and farmed fish,” 7/11/2006

Dee Dee Mahmood, multi award winning Celebrity Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist, is the Academic Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University Australia. Her PhD research on obesity was chosen for its impact on obesity in Asia and was accepted and presented at the President's Cup Award, American College of Sports Medicine Northwest Annual Meeting in Tacoma, Washington. Ambassadors to brands like Reebok and Norwegian Seafood Council, this TEDX Speaker has several signature community programs to her name, Fat2Fit Asia and Walking Football for Health Asia. She conducts  synergy on community and corporate health and research collaborations internationally.

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