Farmed Salmon
Another one of my favorite! According to a report in Science,
factory-farmed salmon*, which is raised on fishmeal and accounts for 80% of the
market, has eight times more PCBs than wild caught. The researchers said that if EPA standards
could be applied to farm-fed salmon, it would trigger a warning to not consume
it at all. In order to protect yourself
from PCBs, never eat salmon skin or the layer of fat beneath it. *conditions and practices vary by farm,
which can affect the PCB levels.
What is Farmed Salmon? The most commonly farmed salmon is the
Atlantic Salmon. Salmon is usually
farmed in 2 stages and in some place maybe more. First, the salmon are hatched from eggs and
raised on land in freshwater tanks. When
they are 12 to 18 months old, they are transferred to floating sea cages or net
pens anchored in sheltered bays along a coast.
They are fed pelleted feed for another 12 to 24 months, when they are
then harvested. Norway produces 33% of
the world’s farmed salmon, and Chili produces 31%. The coastlines of these countries have
suitable water temperatures and many areas are protected form storms. Chile is close to large forage fisheries
which supply fish meal for salmon.
Scotland and Canada are also significant producers.
Tilapia
This freshwater favorite has a mild flavor and
is very versatile, but unfortunately, the benefits end there. Most tilapia is farm-raised and fed a steady
diet of corn which, in turn, affects its nutritional content. Jeffrey Anshel, O.D., F.A.A.O says “Despite
what we think, corn is not a vegetable, but actually a grain that has a high
glycemic rating. This means that it
spikes your blood insulin, which is especially a problem for diabetics. Addionally, tilapia has the highest level of
omega-6, the pro-inflammatory fish oils.
Omega-6 can exacerbate heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and other
overactive inflammatory responses.”
According to Wikipedia, Tilapia from aquaculture
(farmed) has been shown to contain more fat and a much higher ratio of omega-6
to omega-3 oils. I’m assuming this is
due to their feeding and lack of activity.
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