As stated, it is because they don’t eat little crustaceans and krill in the Salmon farms. These critters have Astaxanthin in them (same stuff that makes flamingoes pink).
Astaxanthin is just the pigment that is naturally produced by these animals. It can be synthetically produced using yeast or algae - the synthetic stuff is chemically identical to the naturally-occurring stuff.
I feel like the implication when you see “farmed salmon is grey” is typically “and therefore it is bad/toxic/unhealthy/unnatural, etc”. Really, the color just means they just have less naturally occurring astaxanthin in their diet. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant and is good for you - and plays a role in the growth and development of the salmon. However, when it is produced synthetically and added into the fishes’ feed to give them color & aid their development, it has the same effect as if it were from krill.
There are problems with salmon farming (environmental and animal welfare issues, though there can also be disease and contaminant issues dependent on farm location/conditions), but the actual meat is not nutritionally very different from wild salmon. It can actually have similar or even higher omega-3 content because farmed salmon are fatter (though their fat is higher in omega-6 and lower in omega-3 than wild-caught salmon).
Wow, both of you taught me some neat stuff! Astaxanthin sounds like it plays multiple roles in the lifecycle of salmon and is one of the most powerful antioxidants as well, so it benefits those of us that eat salmon. It’s also the same reason/process that makes flamingos their beautiful color.
Unsurprising. A lot of ‘natural’ additives are actually worse for you than the synthetic alternative.
The most obvious example I can think of is almond flavouring. The natural variant often contains traces of cyanide, which is not great even in small quantities.
Bit of a tangent, but I think most people would be surprised how many of the plants in their garden are deadly. And because I don’t want to give anyone any ideas, usually that death is slow, incredibly painful, and involve you shitting yourself endlessly. Wear gloves and don’t burn stuff you don’t recognise.
Most people think they might get a bit ill or have a bit of stomach issues. Perhaps they know to avoid oleander or foxglove. Most don’t realise they’d die a painful and entirely unpreventable death after eating a relatively small amount of leaves or seeds of other common garden plants.
Hell, I was trimming my yew (taxus baccata) a few years ago and even the small amount of needles I accidentally got in my mouth made me quite ill. No antidote, so you’ll die a painful and prolonged death.
Then there’s the whole hemlock thing, where people confuse it with carrots or parsley. Also no antidote, just a long and painful death.
All too often, you’ll see people trimming or burning highly toxic plants or not wearing gloves while dealing with plants which contain toxins which can be absorbed through the skin.
And then there’s the people who think wood is wood, and toss whatever on the fire.
It’s big carnivorous ocean-dwelling fish for me - like tuna, swordfish, etc - both because many of their fisheries are in very poor health/are destructive to the environment and because of the heavy metals issue.
As stated, it is because they don’t eat little crustaceans and krill in the Salmon farms. These critters have Astaxanthin in them (same stuff that makes flamingoes pink).
Astaxanthin is just the pigment that is naturally produced by these animals. It can be synthetically produced using yeast or algae - the synthetic stuff is chemically identical to the naturally-occurring stuff.
I feel like the implication when you see “farmed salmon is grey” is typically “and therefore it is bad/toxic/unhealthy/unnatural, etc”. Really, the color just means they just have less naturally occurring astaxanthin in their diet. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant and is good for you - and plays a role in the growth and development of the salmon. However, when it is produced synthetically and added into the fishes’ feed to give them color & aid their development, it has the same effect as if it were from krill.
There are problems with salmon farming (environmental and animal welfare issues, though there can also be disease and contaminant issues dependent on farm location/conditions), but the actual meat is not nutritionally very different from wild salmon. It can actually have similar or even higher omega-3 content because farmed salmon are fatter (though their fat is higher in omega-6 and lower in omega-3 than wild-caught salmon).
Wow, both of you taught me some neat stuff! Astaxanthin sounds like it plays multiple roles in the lifecycle of salmon and is one of the most powerful antioxidants as well, so it benefits those of us that eat salmon. It’s also the same reason/process that makes flamingos their beautiful color.
Unsurprising. A lot of ‘natural’ additives are actually worse for you than the synthetic alternative.
The most obvious example I can think of is almond flavouring. The natural variant often contains traces of cyanide, which is not great even in small quantities.
Bit of a tangent, but I think most people would be surprised how many of the plants in their garden are deadly. And because I don’t want to give anyone any ideas, usually that death is slow, incredibly painful, and involve you shitting yourself endlessly. Wear gloves and don’t burn stuff you don’t recognise.
Why would they be surprised? Don’t most people know not to eat random unidentified plants?
Although my garden is filled with things that are edible because that is the point of growing them.
Most people think they might get a bit ill or have a bit of stomach issues. Perhaps they know to avoid oleander or foxglove. Most don’t realise they’d die a painful and entirely unpreventable death after eating a relatively small amount of leaves or seeds of other common garden plants.
Hell, I was trimming my yew (taxus baccata) a few years ago and even the small amount of needles I accidentally got in my mouth made me quite ill. No antidote, so you’ll die a painful and prolonged death.
Then there’s the whole hemlock thing, where people confuse it with carrots or parsley. Also no antidote, just a long and painful death.
All too often, you’ll see people trimming or burning highly toxic plants or not wearing gloves while dealing with plants which contain toxins which can be absorbed through the skin.
And then there’s the people who think wood is wood, and toss whatever on the fire.
I thought yew was more commonly known to be deadly? Though the red berries IIRC are safe, as long as you don’t eat the seed which is also deadly.
As far as toxic to touch I don’t think I am aware of anything in the UK you are realistically going to come into contact with.
Salmon is my number 1 food i want scientists to start growing in labs, cheaply and without animal harm.
We are far off still but i am rooting.
It’s big carnivorous ocean-dwelling fish for me - like tuna, swordfish, etc - both because many of their fisheries are in very poor health/are destructive to the environment and because of the heavy metals issue.
Cows would probably have a much bigger global impact. Do you have good reasons or just selfishly because you think they taste better?
I mean i gladly take lab grown beef, it would indeed be great for the climate. Any lab grown meat is positive.
But yeah i do selfishly just want to eat more salmon more often because currently sashimi grade salmon is just too expensive for my budget.
This was a weird time to go 0-100.