Farm-Raised Salmon

Farm-raised salmon are denied the natural astaxanthin complex and instead receive a petrochemical imitation. There is no organic certification program for seafood, so its absence on fish labels should not raise concern. Farm-raised salmon flesh is gray without artificial intervention, not pink. The color of farm-raised salmon flesh is determined by market preference and price optimization, not nutritional considerations. Salmon producers use a standardized color chart called the SalmoFan to precisely select the pigment intensity of the flesh. Farm-raised salmon carries a contaminant burden that makes wild-caught verification essential. A mouse study found that chronic consumption of farm-raised salmon produced serious metabolic consequences. Approximately 95% of Atlantic salmon sold is farm-raised. Producers add synthetic astaxanthin to farm-raised salmon feed to make the product visually marketable.