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What's fueling the latest consumer outrage? The December 15, 2006 edition of Sally Jessy Raphaël's radio show features the Pure Salmon Campaign's Andrea Kavanagh talking about the issues below. Listen now! [Windows Media, 10 megs].
Curious about what fish species to avoid and to enjoy?
Check out these links.
Organic Salmon?
Organic salmon? Chefs, retailers and seafood companies are trying to capitalize on the organic trend by selling "organic" salmon. Don't be fooled. There is no such thing. The USDA has not yet issued regulations on organic seafood.
"Organic salmon" sold in U.S. markets and restaurants is coming from Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and Chile where foreign certification bodies have announced their own ‘organic’ standards for farmed salmon despite the fact that there are no internationally agreed upon standards in place. Often, the standards used by these foreign certifiers differ significantly from what many American consumers associate with the USDA organic label.
Americans Leery Of Potential USDA Organic Label For Farmed Seafood
According to a recent survey by the Pure Salmon Campaign, six in 10 respondents said that they would not expect farmed fish with the "USDA Organic" label to contain contaminants or be farmed in such a way that is harmful to marine wildlife and not allow fish to follow their natural behavior. Find out more
National Organics Standards Board Meets to Discuss Standards for Organic Aquaculture
On October 18, 2006 the Pure Salmon Campaign submitted oral and written comments to the National Organic Standards Board's on its aquaculture standards, stating that, "The Pure Salmon Campaign believes that the production of carnivorous finfish in open net cages is inconsistent with "organic" production on several fronts."
Organic Salmon in the News:
- "Despite label, fish might not be organic"
The Associated Press, 3rd December 2006
- "Free or Farmed, When Is a Fish Really Organic?"
New York Times, 28th November 2006
- Did you know this . . . . Organic seafood, there's no such thing!
Food editor Phil Lempert of the 'Today' show on NBC tells you what you need to know about fish. Read the article
MSNBC, 22nd August 2006
- "Fish farms confuse customers with "Naturally raised" salmon"
Growfish, 15th June 2006
- "The battle for the soul of the organic movement"
CNN, 9th October 2006
- "Concern over organic salmon farms"
BBC News, 5th October 2006
- "Why organic salmon is causing a nasty smell"
The Observer Food Monthly, 22nd October 2006
FTC Petition Slams Salmon Ad Promoting Unsafe Food to Pregnant Women
Pure Salmon has filed a truth-in-advertising complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the trade association of farmed salmon producers for deceptive advertising that appeared in the New York Times Sunday Magazine last year encouraging pregnant women to eat chemical laden farm-raised salmon. Similar ads have run in recent months in the publications Fit Pregnancy, Parenting, Cooking Light, and Sunset.
The six-page ad Times Magazine ad, paid for by the trade association Salmon of the Americas (SOTA), made extensive claims about the health benefits of farmed salmon for pregnant women and their babies. The ad proclaims "Ocean-Farmed Salmon — just what the doctor ordered" under a picture of a pregnant woman.
Pure Salmon submitted a petition asking the FTC to stop SOTA from using false and misleading information in their ads and has dozens of scientific studies cited to support its claim, including a peer-reviewed paper published just last year in the Journal of Nutrition.
This study was a follow-up to the ground-breaking January 2004 study of toxins in farm-raised salmon in the journal Science. The Journal of Nutrition study found that women of childbearing age, expectant and nursing mothers, and young children should minimize their consumption of farm-raised salmon in favor of other sources of omega-3 fats.
In response to the initial advertisement, a group of health professionals wrote a letter to Salmon of the Americas taking issue with many of the claims in the ad.
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