Contamination of Scottish Salmon
Dateline: 11th January 2004

Sometimes it feels as if the list of foods that could be dangerous to eat just grows and grows. Now farmed Scottish salmon has been added to the list.

The University of Indiana has published the results of its research in the journal Science which suggests that toxins in farmed salmon can significantly increase the risk of consumers developing cancer. The toxins found included PCBs and dioxins. Advice from the reseachers is that no more than two ounces a month should be eaten.

The organisations for the Scottish salmon industry strongly dispute the findings of this study. A spokesperson for Scottish Quality Salmon argues that the research misuses the risk assessment guidelines provided by the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) which are meant to be applied to non-commercially caught fish and should include consideration of health benefits.

"Consumers should be reassured by this research, despite its rather obvious attempt to stir anti-fish farming headlines," commented Scottish Quality Salmon technical consultant Dr John Webster. "It actually says that 'individual contaminant concentrations in farmed and wild salmon do not exceed US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) action or tolerance levels'. This is true. PCB and dioxin levels in Scottish salmon are significantly lower than the thresholds set by international watchdogs such as the EU, the Food Standards Agency or even the US FDA."

The toxins get into farmed salmon through fish pellets. These are made from wild sea fish which have low levels of contamination. When these fish are ground up to make pellets, the toxins become concentrated.

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) says, "This study does not present any new safety concerns. The levels of dioxins found in farmed salmon are below the safety levels set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Union (EU) and the United States Food and Drug Administration." It goes on to say that these are not new findings. The only new part of the research is the comparison between fish caught in different oceans. They argue that the Pacific, for example, if far less polluted by PCBs, dioxins and other toxins than the Atlantic or the North Sea.

The FSA is still advising people to eat at least two portions of oily fish per week and they say that there is no reason to avoid farmed Scottish salmon.

As often happens, there is much contradictory advice from different participants in the debate and consumers are left to make their own judgement on whether to continue eating farmed Scottish salmon. Whatever you decide, do eat oily fish of some kind at least twice a week because there are proven health benefits from doing so, see Omega 3 - Miracle Oils?

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