Salmon given GM feed to boost nutrition
That’s why I bite the bullet and just pay more for wild caught. I don’t trust the farmed fishes at all
It was a trial to see what would happen. It is not the practice.
Researchers have added a gene from a type of marine algae to a camelina plant to produce the omega-3 fish oil.
Marine algae is a rich source of plant-based omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon would like to eat sardines/pilchards that are rich in Omega 3 fats. The article notes the reduction in availability of small fish based fat and protein to put in to salmon feed. By using a marine algal gene in a Brassica spp of plant related to flax (also a source of Omega 3), they are circumventing the need to feed farmed salmon the limited sardine resource.
There is nothing Franken-foodish to be concerned about.
Other more recent than the mid 2000s articles are showing that farmed salmon is lower in organic pollutants than wild caught fish. The fish are in a more controlled environment whereas wild fish are exposed to toxin build up in their fat along their long journey. The organic pollutants are the main health concern for people, in terms of choosing food sources for their diet.
So farmed salmon may be the better option as we move toward 2020?
Scientific articles for claims made in this post can be accessed via this report.
For Australians:
Vegetable oil is used in feeds as a source of energy. The substitution of fish oil with vegetable oil decreases the level of saturated fat in feeds, which is shown to improve a fish’s ability to digest fat and use energy. 