July 7, 2005

EU says farmed salmon still safe to eat
 

Farmed and wild salmon do not cause any overall difference in health risks to consumers, scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said recently.

In a decision made in the week of Jun 4, an EFSA panel said frequent consumers of Baltic herring and wild Baltic salmon are more likely to exceed the recommended limits for cancerous chemicals intake, compared with those who eat farmed types.

This decision will boost fish farmers' marketing efforts, especially those who raise salmon. About one-third of the fish consumed in the EU is farmed.

A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts last year had reduced consumer confidence in farmed salmon, with tests showing that non-farmed fish contained high levels of dioxin-like chemicals. The study also indicated that Scottish salmon has one of the highest levels of the chemicals.

Chief executive of Scottish Quality Salmon, Brian Simpson, said the association's members, who produce about 65 per cent of Scotland's farmed salmon, were hurt by international consumer demand decline after the study was published. Demand is now back to previous levels, he said.

Simpson even pointed out that farmed salmon sales in France actually rose for fish marked with the label rouge quality assurance standard, proving the importance of quality and safety standards.

Contaminants in fish come predominantly from fish diets. While it is not possible to control the diet of wild fish, modifying their feed can alter the level of contaminants in farmed fish. Fishmeal and fish oil are the most likely sources of contamination in farmed fish feed with dioxin-like compounds.

In 2002, the EU introduced regulations stipulating the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) in fish feed.

Both the Pew study and the EFSA panel have agreed that more statistical testing needs to be done to fully compare the chemical levels of farmed versus wild fish.

As wild fish catch is on the decline, worldwide production of farmed varieties has been increasing. Global wild fish catch peaked in 2000 at 96 million tonnes and fell to 90 million tonnes in 2003. In 2003, total aquaculture production stood at about 54.8 million tonnes, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.