The smoked salmon it is a particularly loved food for its delicate flavor and versatility in the kitchen. During the Christmas holidays, then, it becomes the protagonist of refined appetizers and first courses. Unfortunately, however, this food hides a large environmental impact, mainly linked to intensive farming.
Various investigations have highlighted the cruelty and health problems that characterize these plants, where animal welfare is often sacrificed in the name of productivity. Read also: This documentary will make you lose the desire to eat salmon: the truth behind farming
But that’s not all: it seems that salmon also presents some problems relating to the quality of the food itself. A recent one proves it testconducted by the experts of the German magazine Saldo, on 15 brands of salmon, analyzed by expiration date.
Each sample was evaluated according to the following parameters:
The results highlighted that almost one pack in three did not meet expectations for freshness at expiry date and had a high number of bacteria. Only two products, however, stood out for their excellent quality.
Farmed salmon and wild salmon compared
When buying smoked salmon, the choice is limited to two options: wild salmon or salmon from intensive farming.
Saldo’s test emphasizes that it is preferable to opt for wild Alaskan salmon. In fact, the two packs that stood out in the test, purchased from Globus and Denner, were wild salmon and had meat that was still fresh on the expiry date as well as richer in healthy fatty acids.
And there is a reason: in the wild, wild salmon swim thousands of kilometers and feed on insect larvae, small fish and crabs, and this positively influences the fatty acid content in their flesh.
Compared to farmed salmon, wild salmon contains a greater quantity of omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6, a particularly advantageous aspect, especially considering that in the diets of industrialized countries omega-6 comes from vegetable oils and processed foods. , are often in excess.
On the contrary, farmed salmon do not receive species-appropriate feedresulting in an increase in omega-6 at the expense of omega-3. This alteration does not represent an immediate health risk but reduces the nutritional quality of the meat. The test revealed that four farmed salmon from Aldi, Coop and Migros have an unfavorable distribution of fatty acids, with a significant increase in omega-6.
AND what about bacteria?
Despite a general improvement in the hygiene of packaged salmon compared to previous years, with 11 out of 15 products found to be adequate (including the Lidl reference), some brands continue to present serious problems.
Aldi’s cheap “Almare Seafood” salmon, for example, showed over three million aerobic mesophilic germs per gram, along with 6,800 units of staphylococci, making the product unappetizing and potentially dangerous to health.
Other brands such as Coop (Swiss) and Migros also presented levels of bacteria above the guidelines of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology.
The quantity of salmon declared on the packages is not always respected. Only two products, those from Globus and Aldi’s Almare Seafood, contained exactly the 150 net grams declared. In seven other cases, the variations were within the legal tolerance of 4.5%, while six packs were missing more salmon than expected. However, retailers have ensured that they comply with legal guidelines.
Organic salmon is no better
Contrary to what you might think, organic salmon does not stand out in a positive way. Salmon from intensive marine farms, including organic or ASC certified ones, frequently have parasite and disease problems.
A British study found that on organic farms, one in four salmon dies prematurely, negatively contributing to wild fish stocks and the marine environment.
In the case of this test, we are not so much interested in the brands as in the general indication: if you really want to eat salmon, it is better to opt for wild salmonwhich offers superior quality and a lower environmental impact than that coming from intensive farming.
According to fish biologist Yannick Rohrer, Consuming wild salmon is only advisable if it comes from non-endangered stocks, such as those in Alaska and Canada.
