Farmed vs. wild - which is better?

CTVBC
March 4, 2010

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Compared to farmed salmon, wild salmon is more nutritious and carries fewer toxins that can accumulate in humans, a CTV News investigation has found.

Samples of wild Pacific salmon tested on behalf of CTV News at laboratories in B.C. had eight times more Vitamin D and three times more Vitamin A than farmed Atlantic salmon. The samples of wild salmon were also leaner.

But that doesn't mean you should avoid farmed salmon, dietitians say. The benefits of this nutrient-rich food are so great that it should be a staple in all diets, regardless of the source, they say.

If you can still afford the gold standard of wild salmon, that's the best. If not, then farmed salmon is still really good for you," said Lori Petryk, a Vancouver-based dietician.

All servings of salmon are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D, however wild salmon packs more nutritional benefit per ounce. 

Lab tests showed that samples of wild Pacific salmon had more than 500 International Units of Vitamin D, while farmed salmon had far less – just 60 I.U. For children and adults under the age of 50, Health Canada recommends 200 I.U. of Vitamin D each day.

The tested samples of wild salmon also had 154 I.U. of Vitamin A compared to 40 I.U. found in the samples of farmed salmon. Likewise, the fat content of wild salmon was 2.5 per cent while farmed salmon had three times the fat, an overall 13 per cent fat content.

Because of the higher fat content, farmed salmon can store more Omega 3 fatty acids than wild salmon. But this also means farmed salmon can accumulate higher levels of toxins such as PCBs, a banned toxin found in materials like asbestos.

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