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Farmed Salmon May No Longer Be as Nutritious as Once Believed, New Research Suggests
Confirmed
In Short: A new study indicates that farmed salmon's nutritional benefits, particularly its Omega-3 fatty acids, have declined due to changes in their diet.
Aquaculture, the fastest-growing food production system globally, has seen a surge in farmed salmon, driven by health-conscious consumers and dietary guidelines recommending its consumption for heart health.
However, recent research reveals that the nutritional profile of farmed salmon has changed, with levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, crucial for heart health, decreasing significantly.
This nutritional shift has occurred as the global demand for farmed salmon has increased, with nearly 70 percent of the world's salmon now farmed, and production tripling between 2000 and 2020.
The dietary advice promoting salmon consumption has inadvertently contributed to the depletion of its nutritional benefits, raising questions about the adequacy of current health recommendations.
The consequences of this nutritional decline extend beyond the health of consumers, impacting both marine and terrestrial environments, as the industry's practices have altered the natural diet of farmed salmon.
What's confirmed
- Today aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system in the world, much of it spurred by increasing appetites for species, including salmon, that have been identified and marketed as uniquely healthful.
- But other research has found a rise in the use of crop-based ingredients fed to farmed salmon.
- Most of that demand is being met with farmed salmon: Today, nearly 70 percent of the salmon consumed on the planet are raised in pens and cages.
- The US Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating at least 8 ounces of fish a week and urges people to choose salmon or other species that are similarly high in “heart-healthy” Omega-3 fatty acids.
- But new research led by USDA scientists finds that levels of these fatty acids in farmed salmon have dropped considerably, potentially making the agency’s own advice, and similar recommendations, including from the American Heart Association, outdated and insufficient.
- The reason for the decline of the Omega-3s, the new study says, is a major shift in the diets of the naturally carnivorous salmon, from smaller fish species—which were over-exploited to feed farmed fish—to a mix that includes land-based oils and crops, including soy and canola.
What's still developing
- “The claim is that the salmon industry is here to feed the world and provide this extra protein,” Cascada said.
- Salmon has played a key role in the explosive growth of global aquaculture, becoming a mainstay in the diets of health-conscious eaters or those trying to cut down on terrestrially farmed protein, especially beef, for both health and environmental reasons.
- The amount of farmed salmon tripled between 2000 and 2020, far outpacing the production of any other type of finned fish.
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