How to choose smoked salmon? What to watch out for? And what does it contain? Also potentially carcinogenic substances according to the magazine OKO test which analyzed 10 products, 5 of which are organic.
How to choose smoked salmon? What to watch out for? And what does it contain? Also potentially carcinogenic substances according to the magazine OKO test which analyzed 20 products, 5 of which are organic.
At Christmas and New Year on tables all over the world it is consumed smoked salmon, a product that is no longer a great delicacy as in the past and that is now found in every supermarket. But is it a safe food? A test carried out in Germany has revealed some not positive solutions related to safety in its consumption.
The German magazine “Ökotest” this time focused on the analysis of salmon in its smoked and packaged variant. A sample of 20 brands of salmon produced by traditional, organic but also wild fishing farms, all solutions commonly sold in supermarkets and discount stores.
The results were certainly not comforting. What was found so troubling about some of the packs?
The results of the salmon tests
In traditional, organic and wild smoked salmon examined by the Ökotest associated laboratories, the experts went to check for the presence of the preservative known as etossichina, but also of germs and spores. Further analyzes concerned antibiotic residues. In addition, for wild salmon, the presence of nematodes (small worm-like organisms) was also evaluated, which may be present in wild fish but should not exceed in number. To remedy this, producers are required to have a causal control of the fish.
The tests were conducted by placing the salmon slices on a light table and then examining them under a microscope to notice any suspicious spots and identify nematodes.
On the 5 organic products, 5 wild salmon and 10 conventional farmed salmon analyzed, the test showed that 6 farmed salmon were positive for ethoxyquin. This substance is used by manufacturers to protect food from oxidative degradation, the problem is that it is a suspected carcinogenic ingredient.
Unfortunately the bitter discovery of this test is that the offending preservative is also present in some organic salmon heavily polluted like or worse than those from traditional breeding.
Of the organic products in the test, only one receives the label "good". And out of the total of 20 smoked and wild salmon types tested, only three were able to convince Ökotest to promote them with flying colors.
The winners of the test are salmon from the Friedrichs, Stührk, Youkon brand, all wild salmon, but the organic salmon brand is also awarded a "good" Laschinger. Bio Verde and Followfish achieved a "satisfactory" result. Wechsler's Naturland Organic Mare salmon and NHLisk salmon were rated "adequate".
The black jersey was awarded to the Friedrichs Original Rauch-Lachs and the Ja! Räucherlachs sold by Rewe, a well-known German supermarket chain.
As we read in the document:
"A salmon can only be 'very good' if the animals live as appropriate to their species and this is only possible for wild salmon."
Most of the salmon on the list are not sold in our country but there are salmon marketed by Lidl and Aldi, classified by this test as "satisfactory".
In the overall assessment given by Ökotest, farming conditions and methods of salmon fishing also played a role. Once again, unfortunately, the test did not reveal good practices: most of the salmon comes from polluting aquaculture or from overfished seas. And even organic salmon barely comes up with ratings as "satisfactory" or "sufficient" for these reasons.
How to choose salmon
If you really can't avoid buying salmon, it is good to choose the wild one. According to the test, in fact, the best products belonged to this category. It is even better to prefer fresh, unsmoked and packaged wild salmon, in order to avoid the possible presence of preservatives.
Also pay attention to:
- Type of smoking: on the package there must be written "smoked salmon" which means that the smoking is the traditional one made using wood (sometimes it is also specified, for example beech). Instead, pay attention to the wording "smoked salmon" in this case aromas have been added that must be present on the label.
- Choose dry salted salmon: this means that the fish has been covered with salt and no brine treatment has been used.
- Attention to color: which must be uniform, without dark spots, veins and no other colors or dry parts must be present.
- Expiration date: it is obviously important even if freshness is not guaranteed. In fact, producers have the possibility of a very wide range for the expiry date that goes from 20 to 90 days after the packaging of the salmon. It is always better to choose the ones with the most distant expiration date.
- Label: always read the list of ingredients and prefer the shorter one
We also remind you that smoked salmon in rare cases can be contaminated with listeria, we always report any food warnings regarding this and other foods.
The best solution is always to leave the salmon on the shelves!
Read also:
- Salmon: 10 good reasons not to eat it
- Salmon: everything they don't want us to know
