farm-raised salmon

[anthrax]

higher fat content, antibiotics, genetically modified ,...
from orlandosentinel.com (Salmon 101: Facts For Those Who Flounder)


See the sign that says "Atlantic" next to the salmon at the fish counter? Those fish likely came from a farm, whether in Canada, Norway, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland or, increasingly, Chile and New Zealand.

Most farm-raised salmon spend the first six months in a fresh-water hatchery and are then transferred to offshore saltwater pens. These salmon are sometimes bland and mushy, yet their year-round availability and lower price make them attractive to many consumers.

These salmon, crowded into pens, exercise little, resulting in high fat content but with little marbling.

Conservationists also point out that the waste from these fish can pollute natural bodies of water, endangering wild fish. Storms can tear open the pens, allowing farm-raised fish to mingle with wild salmon, endangering the species.

Farm-raised salmon are generally sustained on a diet of processed feed whereas wild salmon feed on crustaceans, which contain astaxanthin, a naturally occurring pigment that results in its vibrant color. To avoid an unattractive grayish salmon, fish farmers feed the salmon supplemental naturally occurring or synthetic dyes.

Farm-raised salmon are sometimes treated with antibiotics and pesticides. These fish are supposedly quarantined in clean water for up to a year before they are harvested and sent to market to ensure that such elements have been flushed from them.

In Canada, there is now genetically modified salmon. Nicknamed "super salmon," this type is injected with a growth hormone and engineered to grow faster and gain weight several times more quickly than typical Atlantic salmon.

Recently, some fish hatcheries have begun to release their farm-raised salmon into the wild to allow the fish to reap the benefits of a natural diet and turbulent waters. Their spawning instincts intact, the salmon conveniently return to the pen. However, the opportunity for interbreeding with wild salmon has made this practice controversial.

In Iceland some companies have begun raising fish in above-ground, self-contained pools. Ocean water is pumped in to create a whirlpool current. The by-products of these fish do not pollute ocean waters.

As for that Atlantic Salmon Fillet Fresh Farm-Raised Chilean in the supermarket ad? It's simply an Atlantic species that is farm-raised in Chile

 

[chillin408]

This is an interesting read, what I was wondering though, is do farm-raised salmon have the same omega-3 content as ocean salmon?

Because I think I have heard before that the reason, or one reason (cold water i think) fish have omega 3's is because they eat it from algae's, who synthesize the stuff themselves (i think).

 

[MuscleDm]

Thanks for the post Anthrax!

 

[MR. BMJ]

Aaaarrrgggghhhhh...whattya doin' to me Anthy...I just spent half a semester studying about genetically engineered foods and even salmon...cant I get away from this stuff...Just kidding, nice post bro. If i remember right the genetically engineered salmon when allowed to breed with the wild fish of the ocean caused a pretty bad reaction with both the other salmon, and the environmentalist (as you could imagine). I know a certain "Mad Scientist" whose line of work is in geneticism, and if "that person" reads this thread, then "he/she" will be able to touch upon any of the gentic based areas as well as probably "he/she's" opinion on the matter...lol.

You my son have just touched upon one of the most controversial subjects in food science today on the mentioning of genetically engineered foods.

I know that in the case of the fish that are grown/spawned at the hatcheries, they have at least 2 advantages that I know of for sure:

1. Their muscle fibers will be more flavorful and juicier, fuller because the fish are caught on sight and they will not put up much of a fight when slaughtered. When a fish, and most animals whose meats we eat, puts up a fight, they will use up their glycogen storage, thus promoting/causing the meat to be less tender and flavorful. There are a lot of controversies within this matter as many drugs are also givin to animals to prevent their use of glycogen storage from being used up, but this is another sunject matter.

2. The fish are able to be packed in ice within minutes of slaughtering and canning, thus slowing down rigor mortis (which will eventually happen anyway) and oxidation of fats (like seen in flax). Rigor will also effect glycogen storage as well making the fish "gap" (tears in connective tissues and a ragged appearance). This quick icing will also help prevent that unpleasant fishy smell from caused from the reduction of trimethylamione oxide being formed into trimethylamine from bacteria. Trimethylamine can also be degradated down into dimethylamine and formaldehyde (yep that same product that most people cry over from the breakdown of methanol in diet cokes...hahaha told ya it can be found everywhere...NOT just in diet cokes, thus forming a weak argument for diet cokes being bad since it isn't the only product that this occurs with). This conversion can be slowed down by adding Lemon and lime juice. Alright, i'm getting off topic on this one.

Hehehe, guess that extra semester for my food science degree is paying of now huh MS?

There are various controversial matters that I will avoid, but I have to be honost, I have thought about putting up a question on this here diet board covering the basis of genetically engineered foods to see everyone debate and give their thoughts on the matter...may be too touchy of a subject though.

MR. BMJ

 

[anthrax]

thanx for these explanations MR. BMJ !
and we are waiting for more knowledgeable writings one GM foods

As for salmon, even "genetically engineered" it is certainly as good (even better ?) as the famous canned tuna

 

[IBEPressin]

Just one question.. How long do you have to frontload that stuff they are giving the super salmon to get that kind of growth?