It’s supposed to be wild salmon, farmed salmon from aquaculture or Pollock? The salmon in the supermarket for consumers is often confusing. Various seals such as MSC or Bio, is the shopping quickly to science. The crucial question is: Which product is recommended from a health point of view, a guarantee of reasonable living conditions?

The Verbraucherzentrale Bayern has recently position. The surprising news is that, of all things, the discredited farmed salmon from aquaculture has over wild salmon a decisive advantage. It contains a total of more Omega-3 fatty acids than wild salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be very healthy. People who regularly fat-rich fish such as salmon eat, reduce your risk for fatal heart attacks, strokes, and disorders of lipid metabolism.

Also the level of cholesterol is influenced by regular fish consumption favorably. For the positive effects, especially the long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in fish concerns.

Farmed salmon from aquaculture is compared to its free counterparts in total fat, rich, as he is regularly fed and less moves. Wild salmon daily to swim several miles and eat only when you have the deal for you.

Overall, the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in farmed salmon compared to earlier times, is in decline, emphasizing the consumer. This is due to changing food habits. The food of animals consists for the most part, from plant sources such as soybean or rapeseed, and less of wild fish as it used to be common. Vegetable-based feed are less expensive, but also resource-saving as a feed on wild fish. The Omega-3 fat content of the farmed fish to keep, is added to the plant feed, fish oil.

Farmed salmon is best as a Biovar buy

Farmed salmon has fallen in recent times due to critical feed additives like Ethoxyquin in criticism. Ethoxyquin is a preservative that is suspected of causing cancer. In conventional farming, the preservative may be used up to the year 2020. The consumer recommends the purchase of farmed salmon in the Biovar: The more space the fish in the rule. On the other, the use of Ethoxyquin, as well as hormones and certain drugs is prohibited.

In the last year Ökotest “different smoked salmon-was looking for” products for harmful substances and also found in two Bio-products, residues of Ethoxyquin. The manufacturer indicated that the sources of contaminated vaccines or vitamin supplements. More background you can read here.

Consumers prefer to purchase wild salmon, should pay attention to products with MSC-brick, the rates of the consumer advocates. The label identifies fish and seafood from environmentally sustainable fisheries. The MSC Standard applies only to animals from wild or free-living stocks.

The Special Case Of Saithe

White flesh colored

Consumer protection warns: Pollock is not a salmon

Saithe has to do with real salmon, even if the Name of the suspect. The Pollock belongs to the cod family and is closely related to the cod. He is referred to as saithe, probably has Marketing reasons. Unlike real salmon meat is more white to grey with reddish components. The meat of the Pollock is low in fat, which distinguishes it from real salmon. The content of Omega-3 fatty acids is correspondingly lower.

How much fish should it be?

The German nutrition society (DGE) recommends to eat in the week, one to two servings of fish. The two portions can, for example, 150 grams of low-fat and 70 grams of fat-rich fish split. Fat-rich species of fish are salmon, mackerel or herring.

Fish is recommended, not only because of its Omega-3 fatty acids: It also provides easily digestible Protein, selenium and Vitamin D. fish also be used as an important Iodine suppliers.

Plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids, put in products such as nuts, flax seeds or Oils (canola, walnut or linseed oil). They contain primarily alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The body can convert the fatty acid to a certain extent in EPA and DHA, as you put in the fish. Whether it is sufficient to cover the needs of Omega-3 from vegetable sources but has not yet been definitively resolved, the consumer.