Flesh lipid level in farmed vs wild Atlantic salmon

The oil level in flesh of farmed Atlantic salmon is determined by the dietary oil level. Farmed Atlantic salmon in 2005 (n=40) were analysed to be 13.5 ± 5.0 g per 100 g. In aquaculture, salmon is slaughtered prior to the onset of sexual maturation. In contrast, in nature salmon is often caught during their maturation, migration and spawning period. During this period their lipid stores are being utilised for reproduction such as production of gonads and energy-rich eggs as well as long and energy demanding migration up the rivers for spawning, resulting in a leaner fillet. Thus farmed salmon have higher flesh oil levels compared to wild caught salmon. Consequently, VLCn-3 PUFA will also be higher per unit weight than leaner salmon.  The latest human n-3 intake recommendations of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL; www.issfal.org) is 3.5 g EPA+DHA per week to provide good cardiac health in adults. As an illustration, a 200 g portion of Atlantic salmon farmed in 2005 (Table 1) contributes with as much as 5.6 g EPA+DHA, which is almost twice the recommended weekly intake.