July 24, 2024 — If you’ve ever shopped for salmon, you’ve probably found yourself wavering between a jumble of options. But a scan of the packages — typically emblazoned with various claims about sustainability and nutrition — might not be much help.
This problem isn’t unique to salmon, the second most popular seafood eaten in the United States after shrimp. Many shoppers want to make better choices for themselves and for the environment, but product labels are often confusing or sparse.
“A lot of packaging doesn’t include the information needed,” said Ben Halpern, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
We examined more than a dozen packages of salmon sold at major grocery stores and spoke with experts about how to better understand common labels. Here’s what we learned.
Wild-caught or farmed?
Most salmon packaging will clearly state whether the fish was wild-caught or farmed. If a package doesn’t specify wild-caught or farm-raised, you can probably assume it’s farmed.
In the United States, wild salmon stocks are generally well managed and highly regulated, which means they are less likely to be overfished. An added bonus: Wild salmon is a nutrient-rich and lean source of protein.
But wild-caught fish can be more expensive than farmed options and is not always as easy to find.
Farm-raised fish is generally cheaper, though it is less environmentally friendly, according to several experts. Salmon farms have historically relied on the widespread use of antibiotics and pesticides. Captive fish can also escape their pens and change the genetic makeup of wild stocks.
However, some major salmon-producing countries have improved their farming practices over the years and many farms now use fewer chemicals.
Some farmed-raised salmon might not be as pink as their wild counterparts, which naturally get their color by eating wild shrimp. But farmed fish can also be dyed during processing, so keep an eye out for labels that say “COLOR ADDED.” In other cases, farms could use feed containing a type of carotenoid, or naturally occurring pigment, that gives their flesh a pinker color.
The filets of farmed fish tend to be fattier, but that can keep them more moist when cooked.
“Farmed salmon is really overall a strong option,” said Halpern.