How safe is Salmon from Norway?

Salmon from Norway are closely monitored to guarantee that only pure, completely safe fish—free of disease, dyes and toxins—make it to your table.

Norway’s National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research [NIFS] closely monitors salmon stocks for any traces of undesirable substances. In June 2010 it reported that the 2009 levels of undesirables in salmon fillets were far below the EU’s upper limits for pollutants with established limits.

In addition, small traces of undesirable substances such as PCBs and heavy metals are present in a large number of the foods we eat every day, salmon included. But the health benefits of eating salmon far outweigh any potential for health risk.

The level of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in salmon fillets is as low as approximately one-eighth of the limit set by the EU and Norway for the legal sale of seafood. In addition to satisfying Norwegian and EU regulations, Salmon from Norway must also meet the food safety requirements set by the 100 countries it is exported to— including the U.S.

Overall, fish and shellfish make up only 9% of the average American’s PCB intake. By comparison, beef, chicken and pork account for 34% of PCB intake, while dairy products constitute 30% and vegetables provide 22% of the average dietary PCB intake.²

While some have expressed concerns that ocean-farmed salmon are dyed to mimic wild salmon, this is inaccurate. The pinkish-red color of wild and ocean-farmed salmon comes from a natural oxycarotenoid called astaxanthin—not from dyes or coloring agents. Astaxanthin is an important part of the salmon’s diet, aiding in healthy function and helping the fish meet its need for vitamin A.

In the wild, fish absorb astaxanthin by eating small crustaceans. Ocean-farmed salmon receive astaxanthin as part of their diet in supplement form, the same way humans take vitamin supplements. Studies have also shown that consuming astaxanthin is beneficial to humans as it can boost immune response and acts as a free radical antioxidant.³

_{1 Hites, R, et al. Science 303 (2004); 226-229.}
_{2 Mozaffarian, D, et al. “Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health.” JAMA. 296 (2006); 1885-1899.}
_{3 Park, JS, et al. “Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans,” Nutrition & Metabolism. (2010); 7:18}