Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[alwaysfishn]

The risk of not eating farmed or wild salmon is far worse for you as the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is far greater. The risk of getting cancer from eating farmed salmon is not even in the same ball park. Even the World Health Organization concurs when it rates cancers against CHD. David Suzuki does not even mention it anymore as he once did and for good reason. Funded by the Pew Chartiable Trust - say no more.

I copied this from another thread.

I don't understand how you can put farmed and wild salmon in the same category.

The problem with caged farmed salmon is that they get no exercise and are fed pellets designed to grow them to market size in less than half the time a wild fish takes to get to the same size. As a result farmed fish have much more fat than wild salmon have. PCB's accumulate in the fat. That's why farmed fish have 10-16 times more PCB's than wild salmon.
http://www.healthcastle.com/farmed-salmon.shtml

I've read articles that suggest that if you eat farmed salmon you should limit your intake to one serving a month and pregnant women and young children should avoid it all together.

"If farmed salmon with the average PCB level found in this study were caught in the wild, EPA advice would restrict consumption to no more than one meal a month. But because farmed salmon are bought, not caught, their consumption is not restricted in any way."   

http://www.ewg.org/reports/farmedpcbs

[aquapaloosa]

http://pdf.gaalliance.org/pdf/GAA-Tom-May10.pdf

This is a nice write up on the differences and the similarity's.  There is a section on PCPs in there but what is really interesting ins the table on nutritional break down.

[alwaysfishn]

http://pdf.gaalliance.org/pdf/GAA-Tom-May10.pdf

This is a nice write up on the differences and the similarity's.  There is a section on PCPs in there but what is really interesting ins the table on nutritional break down.

Nice marketing piece from the Global Aquaculture Alliance....   http://www.gaalliance.org/   I noticed that they forgot to compare the PCB levels in the table. When I went to the USDA website, I couldn't find the table there. Do you have a link to the USDA site that shows that chart?

I prefer relying on non biased sources for my information.  

[aquapaloosa]

I prefer relying on non biased sources for my information.

You may want to review many of your links then.

I noticed that they forgot to compare the PCB levels in the table. When I went to the USDA website, I couldn't find the table there. Do you have a link to the USDA site that shows that chart?

They left out the vitamins too that you love to note as well.  No I can not find the table.

[StillAqua]

Nice marketing piece from the Global Aquaculture Alliance....   http://www.gaalliance.org/   I noticed that they forgot to compare the PCB levels in the table. When I went to the USDA website, I couldn't find the table there. Do you have a link to the USDA site that shows that chart?

I prefer relying on non biased sources for my information.  

Depends on the fat conctent of the fish...farmed tend to be relatively high in fat, thus organic pesticides. But the bottom line is, that as a human health risk, there are much "bigger fish to fry".

FLESH RESIDUE CONCENTRATIONS OF ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES IN FARMED AND WILD SALMON FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA  Kelly, BC; Ikonomou, MG; Higgs, DA; Oakes, J; Dubetz, C  ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY  Volume: 30   Issue: 11   Pages: 2456-2464   DOI: 10.1002/etc.662   Published: NOV 2011 
Abstract: The present study reports measured levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in commercial salmon feed (n = and farmed Atlantic, coho, and chinook salmon (n = 110), as well as wild coho, chinook, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon (n = 91). Flesh residue concentrations (ng/g wet weight) of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordanes, chlorobenzenes (CBz) and cyclodiene pesticides (e. g., dieldrin, mirex) were 2 to 11 times higher (p < 0.05) in farmed salmon compared with wild salmon. Concentrations were positively correlated with flesh lipid levels. Farmed Atlantic salmon (12-15% lipid) typically exhibited the greatest OCP burdens compared with other salmon species. However, when expressed on a lipid weight basis, concentrations of OCPs (ng/g lipid weight) in wild salmon, in many cases, exceeded those levels in farmed salmon. Observed interspecies and site-specific variations of OCP concentrations in farmed and wild salmon may be attributed to divergent life history, prey/feed characteristics and composition, bioenergetics, or ambient environmental concentrations. Calculated biomagnification factors (BMF = C(F)/C(D), lipid wt) of OCPs in farmed salmon typically ranged between two and five. Biomagnification of chemicals such as DDTs, chlordanes, and mirex was anticipated, because those compounds tend to exhibit high dietary uptake and slow depuration rates in fish because of relatively high octanol-water partition coefficients (K(OW)s > 10(5)). Surprisingly, less hydrophobic pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes and endosulfans (K(OW)s < 10(5)) consistently exhibited a high degree of biomagnification in farmed salmon species (BMFs > 5). This is contrary to previous laboratory and field observations demonstrating fish BMFs less than 1 for low K(OW) chemicals, because of efficient respiratory elimination of those compounds via gills. The results suggest that ambient seawater concentrations and bioconcentration-driven accumulation may play a key role in the bioaccumulation of these relatively more water-soluble contaminants in farmed salmon. Finally, OCP exposure through consumption of British Columbian salmon is found to be low relative to United States national average per capita total exposure levels and provisional tolerable daily intakes.

[alwaysfishn]

Farmed Atlantic salmon (12-15% lipid) typically exhibited the greatest OCP burdens compared with other salmon species. However, when expressed on a lipid weight basis, concentrations of OCPs (ng/g lipid weight) in wild salmon, in many cases, exceeded those levels in farmed salmon.  

Nice twisted interpretation of facts. 

Farmed salmon are about 150% fatter (more lipid) than wild salmon so as a % they contain significantly higher levels of PCB's than wild salmon. The bottom line is when you eat a serving of farmed salmon you are eating 10 - 15 times the quantity of PCB's than if you ate the same size serving of wild salmon!

"Farmed salmon had greater levels of total lipid (average 16.6%) than wild salmon (average 6.4%). The n-3 to n-6 ratio was about 10 in wild salmon and 3−4 in farmed salmon. The supermarket samples were similar to the farmed salmon from the same region. Lipid-adjusted contaminant levels were significantly higher in farmed Atlantic salmon than those in wild Pacific salmon (F = 7.27, P = 0.0089 for toxaphene; F = 15.39, P = 0.0002 for dioxin; F ≥ 21.31, P < 0.0001 for dieldrin and PCBs, with df = (1,64) for all). Levels of total lipid were in the range of 30−40% in the fish oil/fish meal that is fed to farmed salmon. Salmon, especially farmed salmon, are a good source of healthy n-3 fatty acids, but they also contain high concentrations of organochlorine compounds such as PCBs, dioxins, and chlorinated pesticides. The presence of these contaminants may reduce the net health benefits derived from the consumption of farmed salmon, despite the presence of the high level of n-3 fatty acids in these fish." http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es050898y

[Terry Bodman]

And the debate goes on. I would suggest readers locate a book "A Stain Upon the Sea," a 2004 publication that believe it or not is still current. It is written by local people (Stephen Hume,Alexandra Morton, Betty Keller,Rosella Leslie, Otto Langer, Don Saniford). After reading this book I have not eaten nor supported  farmed salmon.

[Bassonator]

And the debate goes on. I would suggest readers locate a book "A Stain Upon the Sea," a 2004 publication that believe it or not is still current. It is written by local people (Stephen Hume,Alexandra Morton, Betty Keller,Rosella Leslie, Otto Langer, Don Saniford). After reading this book I have not eaten nor supported  farmed salmon.

Look, the fear mongers bible.....

[StillAqua]

Nice twisted interpretation of facts. 

Farmed salmon are about 150% fatter (more lipid) than wild salmon so as a % they contain significantly higher levels of PCB's than wild salmon. The bottom line is when you eat a serving of farmed salmon you are eating 10 - 15 times the quantity of PCB's than if you ate the same size serving of wild salmon!

Not sure what your "twisted interpretation" comment is about AF...are you challenging the scientists findings? Another conspiracy?

You are right that farmed fish have higher fat content and higher pesticide contaminant levels than most wild fish (particularly Dieldrin, Chlordane and Toxaphene; PCBs are 3-8 times higher) but the point of this most recent paper for BC salmon is that it's not considered dangerous by Health Canada or the WHO even if you eat salmon twice a week. So your other comments about the risks of eating farmed salmon monthly aren't supported by the real data. You typically get a lot more pesticides from other food sources, as the paper illustrates with the US human dosage data.

The high levels of some pesticides in wild Chinook and sockeye are disturbing though (not dangerous though unless you are First Nations or a commecial fisher that might eat a lot of salmon). Not a good sign for the health of our oceans.

[aquapaloosa]

And the debate goes on. I would suggest readers locate a book "A Stain Upon the Sea," a 2004 publication that believe it or not is still current. It is written by local people (Stephen Hume,Alexandra Morton, Betty Keller,Rosella Leslie, Otto Langer, Don Saniford). After reading this book I have not eaten nor supported  farmed salmon.

Ahhhh, 2004?  Morton, Stanford.  C'mon! 


Whoops,  I did the 3 pro aquaculture backslap thing again. 

[Novabonker]

And the number 2 food that shouldn't cross your lips is Brussel Sprouts.

[Bassonator]

I love brussel sprouts, cause they gimme gas and the wife leaves me alone...

[alwaysfishn]

A little history lesson on Macdonald's attempt at selling farmed salmon....

In the film “Super Size Me”, Morgan Spurlock stuffed his face on junk food from McDonalds. A sequel - ‘Super Sized Salmonbugs’ - should involve factory farmed salmon. On World Oceans Day in June, McDonald’s unveiled a new ‘sustainable’ whitefish sandwich with the world’s media falling hook line and sinker for this whopper of a fish story.

Less well known is the unsavoury story of McDonald’s failed attempts to promote farmed salmon. In 1997, McDonald's were sued when “four people, including two McDonald's employees, were hospitalized after eating tainted McLaks salmon burgers at a restaurant in Lorenskog, located in the outskirts of Oslo”. McDonald's Norway confirmed that the food poisoning materialized from a ‘corrupted’ consignment of salmon fillets. “At first the McLaks tasted very good, but after some minutes my mouth and throat became numb, and I experienced internal spasms,” said Geir Sundberg, one of the four filing suit against McDonald's. Advertising Age reported under ‘1997 Ad Follies’: “In Norway, McDonald's pulled the McLaks salmon burger off the market after four customers were treated for food poisoning. McLaks had been a hit with health-conscious Norwegians, and McDonald's had been considering expanding the product to Sweden and Denmark”.

Not learning their lesson, McDonald's teamed up with the world’s largest salmon farming company Marine Harvest a decade later in 2007 and launched a farmed salmon wrap with an ad campaign showing a 'Laksewrap' (Salmon wrap) leaping out of the water with a M shape and the Marine Harvest logo underneath.
Marine Harvest Canada blogged about it via 'Marine Harvest teams up with McDonalds' and even the Norwegian Embassy in the United States blogged "McSalmon, Please!" (Read more via ‘Eco-Washing McFarmed Fish’). Marine Harvest’s masterplan was to have a trial in Norway and then conquer the world supplying McDonald’s over 30,000 outlets. Suffice to say that McDonald’s quietly dropped the salmon wrap sometime in 2009 and appear not to be lovin’ the idea of a farmed salmon burger.

[loveforstellies]

Holy toledo!! man this is just scary. 

[StillAqua]

A little history lesson on Macdonald's attempt at selling farmed salmon....

In the film “Super Size Me”, Morgan Spurlock stuffed his face on junk food from McDonalds. A sequel - ‘Super Sized Salmonbugs’ - should involve factory farmed salmon. On World Oceans Day in June, McDonald’s unveiled a new ‘sustainable’ whitefish sandwich with the world’s media falling hook line and sinker for this whopper of a fish story.

Less well known is the unsavoury story of McDonald’s failed attempts to promote farmed salmon. In 1997, McDonald's were sued when “four people, including two McDonald's employees, were hospitalized after eating tainted McLaks salmon burgers at a restaurant in Lorenskog, located in the outskirts of Oslo”. McDonald's Norway confirmed that the food poisoning materialized from a ‘corrupted’ consignment of salmon fillets. “At first the McLaks tasted very good, but after some minutes my mouth and throat became numb, and I experienced internal spasms,” said Geir Sundberg, one of the four filing suit against McDonald's. Advertising Age reported under ‘1997 Ad Follies’: “In Norway, McDonald's pulled the McLaks salmon burger off the market after four customers were treated for food poisoning. McLaks had been a hit with health-conscious Norwegians, and McDonald's had been considering expanding the product to Sweden and Denmark”.
 

You should attribute material you cut and paste from other peoples work AF...that's a direct cut and paste from Don Staniford's unpublished Farmageddon article. I read both sides....

I'm not surprised that a company like McDonalds would back away from any food product that is even slightly controversial and there is an active anti-farm movement in Norway.

But I thought the McLaks food poisoning incident was a particularly weak argument against farmed salmon. That's a risk we take when we live in a society where someone else is responsible for harvesting, preserving, transporting, packaging, cooking and serving our food for us and contamination can happen at any step in the food chain. CFIA issues a high risk food warning for Canada every couple of days (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recalls-and-allergy-alerts/eng/1299076382077/1299076493846) and the vast majority of restaurant food poisonings go unreported. So it's hardly unique to farmed salmon products.