Don’t panic, but many consumers don’t know that wild salmon from Alaska (and elsewhere) has had “color added” in order to showcase that lovely red color. The shock, the horror!!
It’s a fact that Alaska wild salmon are naturally an unappetizing grey color. More shock, more horror!!
How does a flamingo turn pink?
OK, we’re being kinda funny here, but someone has to laugh. For years those who promote Alaska wild salmon have always attempted to scare the consumer away from farm-raised salmon by claiming that farm-raised salmon is “dyed” by adding a pigment to the feed that is fed to farm-raised salmon. This is not necessarily incorrect, but the messaging purposely leaves out some very important facts;
- All salmon (farmed, ranched, wild, enhanced) have grey flesh before they eat food.
- All salmon eat food that contains a beta-carotene (typically either astaxanthin or canthaxanthin) and naturally retain the pigment of the carotene in their flesh (similar to how a Pink Flamingo feathers turn pink when they eat krill).
- Wild salmon eat krill which contain these pigments. Farm-raised, enhanced and ranched salmon receive the same pigments in their feed pellets.
So, all salmon are “color added”, and that’s absolutely OK.
Maybe, just maybe, someone in mainstream journalism will read this blog and let consumers know…but don’t hold your breath.
