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Sunday, March 7, 2010

dangers of farmed fish.



I dunno about you, but I LOVE salmon, but was what I have been eating really salmon? This is a great article on the dangers of farmed fish, not only  salmon, but all farmed fish!! It's really sad nowadays, we have to spend extra money and time just to eat a descent meal, but its worth it and I hope it is to you too!

IF YOU’VE RECENTLY EATEN a piece of salmon sashimi or enjoyed a Sunday
brunch of lox on a bagel, chances are that your meal came from a fish farm off the west
coast of Canada or Chile—even if the label claimed it to be wild-caught.  “So what?” you
might ask.  Well, here’s what: 
FARMED FISH CAN MAKE YOUR JOINTS HURT  
Farm-raised fish often contain lower amounts of inflammation-fighting omega-3s
compared to truly wild-caught fish.  And even when their omega-3 content is high, their
levels of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids are disproportionally increased.  This is
because farmed salmon are usually fed unhealthy amounts of soy pellets which increase
their content of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats.
The bottom line is that farmed fish can actually make joint pain worse—and
represents a serious danger to your health and our environment.  For the shocking truth
about the salmon industry and how to protect yourself, please read this excellent article:
www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health/The-Trouble-with-Salmon.php. 
HOW SALMON FARMERS TRY TO FOOL YOU 
Farmed salmon are also fed artificial color to make their otherwise unappealing
grayish flesh appear bright orange, like that of truly wild salmon.  In the wild, salmon
owe their bright pink-to-orange color to the large amounts of krill and shrimp they eat,
which also accounts for their high omega-3 content.  Recently, some states have passed
laws requiring that "color added" appear on labels of farmed salmon, so look at them
closely.  
But labels aren’t always a guarantee.  Neither are the exorbitantly high prices that
trick some consumers into believing that “if it costs more, it must be the real thing.” 
(Wild Alaskan Chinook salmon sold for $45 a pound in 2008.) In a recent nationwide
sting operation, Consumer Reports found that 56% of salmon labeled "wild" in
supermarkets was actually farmed.  
The stunning fact is that 90% of the fresh salmon sold in the US now comes from
a farm.   And most of these fish farms share the same deplorable conditions of other
animal feedlot operations: Overcrowding, disease contamination from pollutants and
over-medication with pesticides and antibiotics.  
The situation is so bad that Chile, the world’s second largest salmon exporter,
used 718,000 pounds of antibiotics in 2008 and more than 850,000 pounds in 2007 to
contain the spread of a virus that is killing millions of its fish.  When consumers eat this
fish, these residues contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their bodies and
in our world. 

SAVVY FISH SHOPPING TIPS 
Because of unwise practices, the Atlantic and Norwegian wild salmon have
already disappeared.  You can trust that any label bearing the name “Atlantic” salmon—
even if it specifically states that it is “wild”—is farmed, usually coming from Chile.  But
most consumers don't have a clue when it comes to purchasing salmon.  A recent survey
found that 90% don't know that Atlantic salmon is farm-raised; with the third believing
that Atlantic is the same as "wild." 
Q Look for the country of origin label (COOL) on the package.  Boycott salmon from
Canada, Chile and China until these ecological travesties are corrected.  Question your
fish supplier closely about the origin of the fish you’re buying, as well as how it was
raised.
 If you can afford it, purchase truly wild Alaskan salmon known as Chinook (also
called King).  Sockeye is another good choice.  Other good choices are Coho, chum and
pink (most of which is canned or frozen).   
You don't have to be a gourmet cook to tell the difference between
farmed fish and wild-caught.  It's pretty obvious with the first bite.  Farmed salmon, for
instance, has a gooey, tasteless “fatty” flavor.  Its flesh also loses its fake pink color when
cooked.  Once your eye becomes trained, it’s easy to spot the phony fish in the store.  The
next time you're in the supermarket hold a piece of wild Alaskan salmon next to a piece
that is labeled "farm-raised." You'll see differences.  

Fish..very healthy for you, Farmed Fish..NOT
be well...

2 comments:

  1. We buy wild Canadian salmon, and we know where it comes from. Please don't boycott all Canadian salmon, because it isn't all from farms. It is up to the consumer to educate themselves.

    ReplyDelete