Salmon is well-known for its vibrant pink-orange hue However, there’s a persistent myth that farmed salmon is naturally gray and has to be artificially dyed to achieve that appetizing color. Is there any truth to this claim? Let’s find out
Salmon get their color from eating krill, shrimp, and other small crustaceans that feed on astaxanthin, a reddish-orange compound produced by some algae and plankton Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, the same family of antioxidants that give carrots, lobsters, and flamingoes their vibrant colors
Salmon can’t produce astaxanthin on their own, so they accumulate it through their diet. The more astaxanthin-containing prey they eat, the redder their flesh becomes. Some species like sockeye salmon consume more of these pigmented foods and so have deeper red flesh. Other species like chinook salmon eat more fish and have paler meat.
So contrary to myth, wild salmon are naturally pink – not gray. Their coloration comes entirely from their natural diet.
Do Farmed Salmon Need Dye?
Aquaculture nutritionists make pelleted food that farmed salmon eat while raised in pens. To ensure optimal health and color, astaxanthin is added to their feed. Without this supplement, farmed salmon would be pale gray.
The astaxanthin for farm-raised salmon comes from natural sources like algae and yeast. It is the exact same pigment that makes wild salmon pink. There are no artificial dyes or color additives used.
The flesh color of salmon, whether wild or farmed, depends on how much astaxanthin they consume. Farmers can adjust dietary levels to achieve the desired pinkness. But the pigment itself is 100% natural, just like in wild fish.
Why the Dye Myth Persists
If astaxanthin supplementation is natural and beneficial why does the myth about dyeing farmed salmon persist? A few reasons
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Lack of openness: Some salmon farms used to hide the fact that they used astaxanthin. This fueled suspicion.
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Consumer demand: Shoppers expect salmon to be pink. Grayish fillets are perceived as unappetizing, even if perfectly healthy.
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Marketing ploy: The dye myth is perpetuated by competing wild salmon interests as a way to discredit farmed products.
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Differences in color: The color of wild and farmed salmon can differ since their diets differ. This is misinterpreted as artificial coloring.
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Sensationalism: Stories about unnatural practices generate more interest and web traffic, even if untrue.
The dye myth has been thoroughly debunked by scientists and salmon farmers, but still stubbornly persists in some circles. Correcting misinformation with facts is an ongoing process.
Health Benefits of Astaxanthin
While originally added solely for color, astaxanthin offers other significant health benefits:
- Potent antioxidant that neutralizes cell-damaging compounds
- Boosts the immune system and defends against disease
- Improves cardiovascular function and heart health
- Protects skin from sun damage
- Enhances fertility, embryo development, and reproduction
- Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation
- May lower risk factors for diabetes, cancer, and other conditions
Both farmed and wild salmon contain astaxanthin, one reason why eating salmon is so good for you!
Natural Color Doesn’t Equal Healthy Fish
It’s important to note that color alone is not an indicator of quality or nutritional value. Wild salmon can be riddled with parasites and contaminants. Similarly, grayish farmed salmon that missed some astaxanthin supplements can still be perfectly healthy and delicious.
When choosing salmon, look for sustainability certifications like ASC which ensure strict standards for environmental and social responsibility. The natural color of salmon should not be your deciding factor.
The Takeaway
Despite enduring myths, the truth is salmon farmers do not dye their fish. Astaxanthin supplementation adds natural color to farmed salmon, just as eating astaxanthin-containing prey colors the flesh of wild salmon.
So rest assured that rich pink-orange color you love about salmon fillets comes courtesy of Mother Nature herself!
How Is Wild-Caught Salmon Different?
The regulated wild-caught fishing industry is a completely different ball game. As opposed to raising salmon encased in a large underwater net, commercial fishing vessels gather fish from their natural habitat. The salmon’s population density, life cycles, migration patterns, sustainability reports, and a host of other factors are assessed by teams of marine biologists and technicians as part of the regulation process. According to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, fishermen will adjust their expectations and fish more of whichever species are most abundant, rather than further depleting varieties that might need some time to replenish their population. Maintaining a sustainable population is crucial to the fishing industry, particularly in Alaska, California, and Oregon, where fish farming is outlawed.
Wild-caught and farm-raised salmon also differ in nutritional value. Wild salmon is more nutritionally dense than farm-raised salmon and can contain up to three times less fat, fewer calories, and more vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, and b-12. Unfortunately, since the availability of wild-caught salmon exceeds demand, the price per pound is almost always more than that of farmed salmon. Depending on the time of year and a host of environmental factors, certain varieties of wild salmon can be so abundant that they rival the price of farmed salmon.
Farmed Salmon vs. Wild Salmon
Let’s rip the band-aid off early. Any Atlantic salmon you buy is farm raised, whether or not it’s Norwegian. Wild Atlantic salmon do exist, and they used to be abundant in the Northeastern coastal rivers of the U.S. But due to habitat destruction and overfishing, they are now considered an endangered species. So the global commercial fishing industry turned to farming fish like salmon on an industrial scale to meet the worldwide demand. But as with any disruption to natural occurrences, there are a few problems with that pivot.
The fish-farming game isn’t much different than any other type of livestock farming. It involves crowded man-made environments that can leave farmed fish more susceptible to infections and disease. To counter this problem, antibiotics can be added to the fish feed, and those antibiotics ultimately end up on the plate and in the stomach of the person consuming the fish.
Stop Eating Salmon
FAQ
FAQ
Is dye added to salmon?
There is also a common myth that farmed salmon are injected with dye – that’s not true. Read all about this myth here.Dec 21, 2022
What salmon is not dyed?
Is sockeye salmon dyed? There’s no reason for wild-caught sockeye salmon to be dyed because they naturally develop the vibrant red hues that we associate with salmon.
Is there fake salmon?
Salmon is the second most commonly faked seafood. Most of what we eat today is farm-raised, though tricky labels may make you think otherwise. Here’s how to tell when you’re getting real, wild-caught salmon — and why it matters.
How can you tell if salmon is colored?
The first indicator of fresh salmon is its colour: it should always be a lovely, bright pinkish-orange hue. While colours can vary slightly according to salmon species, the key is the brightness of the meat. If your salmon looks dull, pale or discolored, it is not fresh at all and could be spoiled.
Do salmon farmers dye their fish?
Despite enduring myths, the truth is salmon farmers do not dye their fish. Astaxanthin supplementation adds natural color to farmed salmon, just as eating astaxanthin-containing prey colors the flesh of wild salmon. So rest assured that rich pink-orange color you love about salmon fillets comes courtesy of Mother Nature herself!
Is farmed salmon a natural color?
The flesh color of salmon, whether wild or farmed, depends on how much astaxanthin they consume. Farmers can adjust dietary levels to achieve the desired pinkness. But the pigment itself is 100% natural, just like in wild fish. So if astaxanthin supplementation is natural and beneficial, why does the myth about dyeing farmed salmon persist?
What color salmon sells better?
Since the fish is known for its distinctive pink hue (a hue often referred to as “salmon”), darker salmon sells better. But for farm-raised salmon, which makes up 70 percent of the market, color has nothing to do with quality. Farm-raised salmon is naturally gray; the pink color is added.
What makes salmon pink?
It is the exact same pigment that makes wild salmon pink. There are no artificial dyes or color additives used. The flesh color of salmon, whether wild or farmed, depends on how much astaxanthin they consume. Farmers can adjust dietary levels to achieve the desired pinkness. But the pigment itself is 100% natural, just like in wild fish.
How does salmon get its color?
“Salmon gets its color from the carotenoids in the food it eats, regardless of whether it is wild-caught or farm-raised,” notes Rima Kleiner, RD, licensed dietitian and nutritionist and founder of Dish on Fish. However, there is a bit of a difference.
Why is the water in a salmon farm so dirty?
The water in salmon farms is always dirty because so many fish are crammed into small pens. This is how diseases, infections, and parasites get around. Farmers put antibiotics in the water, and the fish eat them. The fish then pass the antibiotics on to people who eat them.