Science study is seriously misleading on safety of Scottish salmon

Research published in Science magazine this week appears to be deliberately misleading in the advice it gives on farmed salmon consumption. In advising how much salmon should be eaten the study ignores all the health benefits of regular farmed salmon consumption as reported in over 5,000 scientific studies. It also, we believe, misuses the risk assessment guidelines provided by the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) which are meant to be applied to non-commercially caught fish and should include consideration of health benefits.

“In fact, consumers should be reassured by this research, despite its rather obvious attempt to stir anti-fish farming headlines,” commented Scottish Quality Salmon technical consultant Dr John Webster. “It actually says that ‘individual contaminant concentrations in farmed and wild salmon do not exceed US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) action or tolerance levels’. This is true. PCB and dioxin levels in Scottish salmon are significantly lower than the thresholds set by international watchdogs such as the EU, the Food Standards Agency or even the US FDA.”

Salmon is produced by SQS members - representing some 65% of Scottish production - to the most stringent independently inspected quality assurance standards in the world.

Scottish Quality Salmon, whose members include feed suppliers, has already taken steps to maximise levels of beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids and minimise PCB and dioxin levels yet further by a variety of techniques including: the sourcing of the highest quality raw materials - fish meal and fish oils used in the feedstuffs - from areas least affected investing in additional processing technology to further reduce levels examining the potential benefits of incorporating different types of high quality plant-derived oil an ongoing testing regime to verify successful progress.

“The health benefits of eating oil-rich fish, like salmon, are well established with over 5,000 scientific and medical papers on the subject. The beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on a wide range of conditions are well documented, most recently in children’s cognitive development demonstrated this week in the BBC’s Child of Our Time series.“

The FSA continues to recommend that consumers eat at least one portion of oil-rich fish a week, the only significant source of these essential nutrients in the human diet.

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Notes to editors:

Scientific evidence has shown that an increase in oily fish consumption:
Prevents or reduces the chances of developing coronary heart disease; Reduces high blood pressure, kidney disorders, inflammatory bowel disorders and autoimmune disease; Results in significant reversal in manic depression, and improves the schizophrenic patients’ symptoms; May also protect against or reduce the growth of certain forms of cancer; Accelerates improvement of psoriasis, used in conjunction with other recognised drug therapies, and; Reduces the risks of premature births and of pregnancy complications.

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