12 questions and answers about Norwegian farmed salmon
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Norway is a pioneer in growing salmon in fish farms. After a breakthrough in marine fish farming, which occurred in the 70's, Norway still holds the position of the world leader in the production of Atlantic salmon.
Below are answers to the most pressing questions that concern consumers.
1. Is it safe to use Norwegian fish grown under artificial conditions?
So. Surveillance authorities and research organizations in Norway and a number of other countries recommend that the population increase seafood consumption, including lean, as well as fatty fish species (the latter include, for example, salmon grown in fish farms).
2. Who watches for the safety of food such as Norwegian salmon and Norwegian fjord trout?
Major monitoring programs have been developed and implemented by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research.
3. Is it true that the content of heavy metals in Norwegian salmon grown in fish farms is higher than in wild salmon living in the sea?
No. For over a decade, the competent authorities have been monitoring Norwegian salmon closely for the presence of traces of undesirable substances, in particular polychlorinated biphenyl, dioxins and heavy metals. The levels of undesirable substances found in Norwegian salmon are much lower than those set by the Norwegian authorities and the European Union and are similar to those of other fatty fish species such as mackerel and herring.
4. What is the content of pollutants in fish?
Foods that feed on fish. Farm growing is a controlled food production technology. The farmer knows exactly what a fish feeds on, and on the enterprises that produce feed, which are important links in the food chain, strict quality control of products is established.
5. Are antibiotics used in the cultivation of salmon?
Since the beginning of the 90s, the use of antibiotics in Norway has fallen by 99%. During the same period the production of grown salmon increased more than 20 times - from 50 000 tons to 1 300 000 tons.
Today, only 1% of all grown fish passes through antibiotic treatment. In Norway, the kilogram live weight of salmon is only 0.00034 grams of antibiotics. For comparison, 1 kg of chicken meat produced in the United States has 1 gram of antibiotics.
After a forced course of therapy, the Norwegians put salmon in quarantine until long-acting drugs are not completely removed from the body of the fish. For recycling and store counters, there is absolutely safe fish.
6. Is it possible to trust the results of research conducted by competent Norwegian organizations?
So. Norwegian salmon grown in fish farms is exported to more than 100 countries. Every day around the world 14 million servings of Norwegian salmon dishes are cooked. This would be impossible without the highest quality of the product itself and exclusive attention to food security issues. All importing countries carry out their own analysis of imported products, in particular Norwegian salmon. Norwegian food safety standards are in line with European Union standards.
7. Is it true that in fish farms, the fish is in a state of inactivity?
No. Fish, which are grown on Norwegian fish farms, have a large living space. According to Norwegian legislation, the percentage of fish and water in Norwegian fish farms is 2.5 and 97.5% respectively. For a state of health and well-being of fish stocks, the presence of a large living space is the most important factor.
8. Is Norwegian salmon grown in fish farms often affected?
No. Fish grown on farms are distinguished by an exceptionally good health condition. Norwegian salmon is today the most healthy among cultivated animals. Against the backdrop of what has been going on in recent decades, the growth of volumes of Norwegian salmon production, which is grown in fish farms, shows a reduction in the incidence of fish. The reason for this is the development of high-quality vaccines, the application of strict rules and regulations in the field of hygiene and health of the fish herd.
9. What is a feed for fish?
Norwegian salmon, which is grown in fish farms, feeds on dry granulated feed. It contains about 70% of plant ingredients and 30% of marine raw materials such as fishmeal and fish oil. Each granule contains essential nutrients for salmon: fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Proteins and fats are found in fishmeal and fish oil, as well as in vegetable protein and vegetable oils. The content of carbohydrates in fish feed is provided by wheat and corn. In addition, fish feeds contain vitamins and minerals, as well as impurities, such as antioxidants (astaxanthin).
By the way, salmon breeding is the most effective way of obtaining products containing animal protein. For an increase of 1 kg of live weight, about 1.2 kilograms of feed is required. In the production of pork, this indicator reaches 3 kg, and beef - 8 kg.
10. Where are extracted wild fish, which is processed in fish feed?
Most of the marine raw material is mined in the North Atlantic. In addition, the area of extraction of raw materials of marine origin is the south-eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. Given the responsible approach to managing fish stocks and the lack of a consumer market for such products, its use as raw material for the production of feed for fish and other animals seems expedient.
11. Is it true that today Norwegian salmon contains less omega-3 than before?
Fishmeal and fish oil, sources of Omega-3 in salmon, are extracted from wild fish. In order to increase the production of salmon at times when the stock of fishmeal and fish oil is limited, some of the marine ingredients are replaced by plant foods. If salmon food contains many herbal ingredients, it will have less marine omega-3s. However, salmon has a unique feature - they can independently produce their own Omega-3. Thus, salmon meat has more Omega-3 than the food they eat. As long as the feed is properly mixed, salmon is capable of converting plant Omega-3 into marine Omega-3.
150 grams of Norwegian Salmon contains 3.2 grams of Omega-3 (1.9 grams of eicosopentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid and 1.3 grams of aminopropionic acid). Therefore, it is enough to use salmon at least once a week to satisfy the body's needs in Omega-3.
12. Does the GMO fish feed and animal protein contain?
Fish feeds in Norway do not contain genetically modified ingredients.
In Norway, genetically modified organisms cannot be used in animal feed without the approval of the Norwegian Food Quality Control (FSA).
There are currently no approved genetically modified foods or feeds in accordance with the Food Act.
At the same time, it may become difficult to obtain feed ingredients that do not completely contain GMOs in the future. For this reason, research and development of this issue are ongoing. In 2015 Nofima launched a four-year project in which salmon will be eaten with rapeseed oil, which has been genetically modified with respect to the content of omega-3 fatty acids. The goal is to check how it affects the fish and its health, and also to check whether it leaves the traces in the fish.
In Norway, they are joking: "Doctor, in my diagnosis, which fish is better to use to heal?" And this joke is more an axiom: seafood = benefit = health!
