December 18, 2016
Salmon, a dish particularly appreciated during the end of the year celebrations, is often accused of being contaminated by heavy metals. The 60 Million Consumers Association conducted the survey. Conclusion: if traces of pollutants exist, they are not always where they are expected and organic salmon is an unforeseen bad student.
Arsenic and mercury in organic salmon
Contrary to appearances, today, fresh salmon is less polluted than organic salmon. In any case, this is indicated by the first results of the latest study by the 60 Million consumers association, published on November 24.
To reach their conclusions, the association’s teams carried out analyzes on 10 steaks of fresh salmon and 15 samples of smoked salmon. Laboratory tests have shown that contamination with heavy metals, whether mercury or arsenic, was found to be stronger in fresh organic salmon steaks than in wild or traditionally grown steaks.
The diet of organic salmon in question
Yes this contamination can be explained for natural reasons, arsenic being, for example, present in nature, the rates noted indicate that ” a number of pollutants are provided by food », Explains Fabrice Teletchea, specialist in the domestication of fish at the University of Lorraine, in remarks taken up by the association. ” It is partly composed of animal meals and oils, derived from wild fish which may accumulate these residues. “.
To the surprise of the researchers who conducted this survey, organic salmon steaks also showed some traces of certain pesticides, organochlorines, even though the latter have not been used anymore, because they have been banned, for several years. For the authors of this study, the food of these salmon is entirely responsible for the levels of pollutants analyzed.
Read also: What to think about organic food?
