See The Truth About Norwegian Salmon! Do You Have To Worry?

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Video: See The Truth About Norwegian Salmon! Do You Have To Worry?

Video: See The Truth About Norwegian Salmon! Do You Have To Worry?
Video: The Problem with Farmed Salmon | Global 3000 2024, November
See The Truth About Norwegian Salmon! Do You Have To Worry?
See The Truth About Norwegian Salmon! Do You Have To Worry?
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The Norwegian aquaculture industry (the so-called fishing industry) ranks among the world's leading programs. Every day 14 million servings with Norwegian salmon are consumed in more than 150 places around the world.

As the second largest exporter of seafood, Norway understands the need that the only way for its aquaculture industry to remain sustainable in the future is through the protection of the environment and fish stocks. There is so much information circulating in the media these days that it is difficult to identify true stories from misrepresented ones.

Farmed salmon (fish farms) is negatively portrayed in the media, but it is important to understand that not all farmed salmon are the same.

In 2020, the Havfarm fish farm, which is a structure similar to a catamaran (two-hull vessel), should be put into operation. The length is about 430 m with a capacity of up to 10,000 tons of salmon.

In the first year of his life salmon will be grown on land in a special tank. There the fish will be kept until they are big and strong enough to survive in the real environment - in the sea. Once this age is reached, the salmon is transferred to spacious, sheltered ocean pens that allow maximum freedom to grow.

The pen is an area surrounded by a net in which salmon grows. They have a circumference of up to 200 meters (650 feet) and a depth of up to 50 meters (165 feet). To prevent overcrowding, Norwegian law requires salmon to represent less than 2.5% of the volume of the aqua facility. This means that each spacious facility must consist of 97.5% water to ensure maximum comfort and a healthy growth cycle.

Eating Norwegian salmon

Salmon farm in Norway
Salmon farm in Norway

Norwegian salmon eats both plants and seafood such as fish oil, pieces of wild fish meat. It also needs vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ensure even better fish taste. Approximately 1.2 kg of feed falls on each kilogram of salmon. In its total life cycle, 1 salmon needs about 6-7 kg of food. This is quite small compared to other animals. For example, about 8 kg of feed is needed for 1 kg of pork.

The pink color of Norwegian salmon comes from a natural oxycarotenoid called astaxanthin. In the wild, salmon get astaxanthin by eating crustaceans. Norwegian salmon receives the same beneficial nutrients as food supplements. Studies show that astaxanthin acts as an antioxidant and can actually boost a person's immunity.

Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant used as an additive in fish feed to maintain the quality of salmon during transportation. European Regulation 2316/98 allows the use of antioxidants such as ethoxyquin in animal feed. Their maximum limit, alone or in combination with other antioxidants, is set at 150 mg per kilogram of feed.

In Norway, the content of these antioxidants in fish feed is monitored every year. Recent results from Norway's official fish feed control program have shown that ethoxyquin levels are well below the limits set by the EU.

Medicines for Norwegian salmon

No drugs or antibiotics are used preventively or as a growth stimulant in the diet salmon. The use of antibiotics in Norwegian salmon farming decreased by 99% since the 1990s, while salmon production for the same period increased from 50,000 tonnes to more than one million tonnes. In 2015, less than 1% of salmon received veterinary treatment using antibiotics.

In Norway, the use of antibiotics is closely monitored. All medicines must be approved by the relevant authorities. They can be used only in the diagnosis of specific diseases and certified veterinarians sign all prescriptions. Treated salmon must be quarantined before the sale of salmon is authorized. Quarantine means that the body is given time to clear any residues of the drug before it is sold.

Recent documents indicate that Norwegian salmon is completely safe and healthy to eat.

Norwegian salmon
Norwegian salmon

Norway was one of the first countries to introduce a tracking system salmon health and other fish to ensure food safety. Every aspect of salmon development is closely monitored by technologically advanced systems that provide information to farmers and their veterinarians. Farmed salmon will also need veterinary attention.

Effective vaccines reduce the use of antibiotics in Norwegian salmon farming to almost zero. In fact, only 0 00034 grams of antibiotics are used per kilogram of salmon produced in Norway, compared to approximately 1 gram per kilogram of chicken produced in the USA. If there is a need for a drug to be used in norwegian salmon farm, the medicine must be prescribed and delivered by a licensed veterinarian.

Contaminants of Norwegian salmon

Dioxins - a collective term for a group of environmental pollutants that include furan and polychlorinated biphenyl, which are found worldwide. Dioxins and furans are released into the air from combustion processes such as the combustion of commercial or household waste and from the combustion of fuels such as wood, coal or oil. Burning of household waste and forest fires can also lead to the release of dioxins and furans into the environment.

Accidental or intentional release of liquids has released polychlorinated biphenyl into the environment. As a result, many food sources, including animal protein, dairy products, and even fruits and vegetables, have been exposed to dioxins. In commercial fish, dioxins are present at very low levels with negligible health effects compared to the benefits of seafood consumption.

The levels of persistent organic pollutants, including dioxins, in Norwegian salmon are six times lower than the internationally accepted European limit values. The Norwegian authorities control the entire supply chain to ensure compliance with EU restrictions. The results of various tests are public and available on the website of the National Institute for Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES).

NIFES performs over eleven thousand tests per year on Norwegian salmonand the levels of sustainable organic pollutants in Norwegian salmon they have never exceeded the internationally accepted European limit values.

Pesticides and Norwegian salmon

Salmon farming with Norway
Salmon farming with Norway

The use of endosulfan as a pesticide is banned in the European Union and Norway and is not used in any way in salmon farming. The European Food Safety Authority and the European Commission have concluded that endosulfan in salmon food is not a risk factor for human health or animal welfare.

Waste and environmental protection

Advances in automated feeding technology eliminate excess food waste. In order to maintain the balance of the ecosystem and to protect the cold, clean waters in which Norwegian salmon naturally thrive, any site used for salmon farming, must rest (catch period) before starting a new cycle. During this time, the cold clear waters wash away the excess waste. Norway also has a sustainability policy, which is supported by the Maritime Governance Council and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), and is in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The above information /seafoodfromnorway.us./ is based on basic principles in Norwegian aquaculture: transparent, regulated and controlled activity by industry, whose overall focus is on the production of safe and healthy seafood.

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