{"id":181293,"date":"2025-08-28T02:25:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/181293\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T02:25:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:25:14","slug":"5-myths-about-salmon-huffpost-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/181293\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Myths About Salmon | HuffPost Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seafood consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with salmon being the most consumed fish<\/a>, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>. It\u2019s easy to see why salmon is so popular: A staple of the Mediterranean diet, it\u2019s packed with nutrients<\/a>, including omega-3 fatty acids (which are good for your heart, brain and skin), protein and vitamin D.<\/p>\n

Despite its popularity, seafood experts we talked to say that there are still some common misconceptions about salmon that simply aren\u2019t true. Here, grocery store seafood buyers, as well as seafood science professors, dispel the most popular myths about salmon and give their tips on what to keep in mind when you\u2019re shopping.<\/p>\n

Myth #1: Fresh is better than frozen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to buying salmon, the first decision you have to make is whether you\u2019re heading to the seafood counter or the frozen section. Jason Hedlund<\/a>, the principal category merchant of seafood procurement at Whole Foods Market, shared that fresh salmon isn\u2019t more nutrient-dense \u2014 or even necessarily tastier \u2014 than frozen salmon. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to eat your salmon relatively quickly (within the next two days), Hedlund says fresh salmon is a good bet. But if you want salmon to keep on hand and you\u2019re not sure when you\u2019re going to eat it, go for frozen. He added that many people don\u2019t realize that salmon is frozen mere hours after being caught, which locks in all the nutrient density and flavor. <\/p>\n

Mark Lang,<\/a> a food marketing professor at the University of Tampa who is passionate about aquaculture<\/a>, said this too. \u201cSalmon is frozen so quickly [after being caught] that it may be the freshest option to eat,\u201d he told HuffPost, adding that it\u2019s frozen right at the source where it\u2019s caught. <\/p>\n

If you want to eat salmon more often because of its health benefits, Lang recommends buying it frozen so you can thaw it the day before you\u2019re ready to cook it.<\/p>\n

Myth #2: Farm-raised salmon isn\u2019t as good as wild-caught.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every seafood expert we talked to said that farm-raised salmon tends to get a bad rap, and it\u2019s completely unwarranted. \u201cWithout responsible farming methods, there wouldn\u2019t be enough salmon to meet the demands of consumers,\u201d said Mark LaMonaco,<\/a> the seafood category merchant at Wegmans Food Markets. <\/p>\n

\u201cWithout farmed salmon, we wouldn\u2019t have enough to feed the world. Just like we farm chicken, beef and pork, salmon farming is necessary to support global demand and helps protect wild populations from overfishing,\u201d added Doug Varanai,<\/a> the senior manager of seafood at Sprouts Farmers Market. <\/p>\n

\"Experts<\/p>\n

fotograzia via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Experts say that the nutrient density of farmed salmon and wild-caught salmon is similar, but they do say there is a slight difference in taste.<\/p>\n

Lang explained that the stigma surrounding farmed salmon goes back to the \u201970s, when there were few regulations around salmon-farming practices, which led to salmon being farmed in dirty, overcrowded water. But he emphasized that times have changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost grocery retailers rely on certification companies with auditors on the ground inspecting the fish farms. They do inspections, test the water and test the fish. If you break the rules, you lose your certification,\u201d Lang explained. If you want to educate yourself on the conditions of farmed salmon available at your preferred grocery retailer, Lang recommends searching for the regulations they follow on their website. (Here\u2019s where you can find the details on farmed fish practices for Whole Foods<\/a>, Sprouts<\/a> and Wegmans<\/a>.) <\/p>\n

All of the experts say that the nutrient density of farmed salmon and wild-caught salmon is similar, but they do say there is a slight difference in taste. \u201cWild salmon often has a firmer texture, leaner flesh and a more intense, \u2018oceanic flavor\u2019 due to natural diets. Farmed salmon tends to be milder, fattier and softer in texture, with flavor influenced by feed formulations,\u201d said Alexander Chouljenko<\/a>, an assistant professor of seafood science at North Carolina State University. \u201cSome people prefer the richness of farmed; others prefer the complexity of wild. Blind taste tests show people\u2019s preferences can be split, often depending on cooking method and seasoning,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Myth #3: Farmed salmon is full of antibiotics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been avoiding farmed salmon because you believe it\u2019s full of antibiotics, the experts say you can rest assured that it isn\u2019t something you need to obsess over. \u201cIn the U.S., Canada, Norway and many well-regulated countries, antibiotics are rarely used, and if they are, they are under strict veterinary oversight with mandatory withdrawal periods before harvest,\u201d Chouljenko said. <\/p>\n

That said, Chouljenko explained that in some countries with weaker regulations, overusing antibiotics in farmed fish has been documented, raising both health and environmental concerns. To avoid this, he recommends looking for salmon labeled with certifications like ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) or BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices). <\/p>\n

Again, this is also where checking out the standard of your preferred retailer comes in handy. \u201cAt Sprouts, all the farm-raised fish in our responsibly sourced program are BAP 3-star or higher certified, which ensures they are raised without the routine use of antibiotics. While antibiotics may be used in some unregulated countries, we prioritize sourcing from certified farms to ensure safety, quality and sustainability,\u201d Varanai told HuffPost. <\/p>\n

Myth #4: Salmon is high in mercury.<\/strong><\/p>\n

PSA: Salmon is not high in mercury<\/a> and is safe to eat regularly. \u201cThe health benefits of eating salmon far outweigh any concerns about mercury,\u201d Varanai said. He explained that its short lifespan and position low on the food chain means it doesn\u2019t accumulate much mercury, making it a healthy and safe choice for most people, including children and pregnant women.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we think about fish with high mercury levels, we have to understand how mercury accumulates in seafood. There are two major contributing factors: time and diet,\u201d LaMonaco told HuffPost. He explained that the higher up a fish is on the food chain, the more mercury it may contain because of the mercury found in its diet. Similarly, he said that the longer a fish lives, the more it eats over its lifetime and could raise the overall levels. \u201cFrom beginning to end, a salmon\u2019s life cycle is typically three to five years and isn\u2019t enough time to accumulate levels of mercury that should be a cause for concern,\u201d LaMonaco said.<\/p>\n

Myth #5: Salmon\u2019s color can tell you how fresh it is.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the experts, while a salmon\u2019s color is important, a vibrant color isn\u2019t always an indicator of freshness. \u201cSome salmon, especially farmed, get color from astaxanthin in feed, so vibrant color doesn\u2019t automatically mean fresher or less fresh,\u201d Choujenko said. LaMonaco explained that astaxanthin is the dietary supplement added to the feed for farmed fish, which can also be found in wild salmon\u2019s natural diet, typically found in krill and other sources. \u201cAstaxanthin is also a popular supplement for humans, often used as an antioxidant with various potential benefits,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

When buying fresh salmon, Choujenko recommends checking the smell (it should be mild, not fishy), texture (firm, not mushy) and appearance (moist, not dry or discolored with unusual spots, dull patches, browning or gray areas).<\/p>\n

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If the head is still on the salmon, Lang recommends checking out the eyes. \u201cThey should be clear. That means it hasn\u2019t been out of the water for very long. If the eyes are cloudy, it\u2019s been in the food supply chain for a while,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With these myths dispelled, you can shop for salmon confidently, whether you\u2019re getting it fresh or frozen. And if you have any questions about it, ask the experts behind the seafood counter. After all, they have a front-row seat to the best options available and can even offer up some cooking tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Seafood consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with salmon being the most consumed fish, according…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":181294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,1182,20958,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-181293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-seafood","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115104024182751169","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}