As a long-time fan of Trader Joe’s, their convenient frozen salmon fillets have always been a staple in my kitchen. I often rely on them for quick and easy weeknight dinners. However I recently came across some concerning information about the sustainability and safety of Trader Joe’s Norwegian salmon so I decided to dig a little deeper.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at where Trader Joe’s sources their salmon, some of the potential risks, and ultimately whether or not their Norwegian salmon is safe to eat As a conscientious consumer who cares about the impact my grocery choices have on the environment and my health, I want to make sure I have all the facts before reaching a verdict If you’re a fellow Trader Joe’s shopper, keep reading to learn what I uncovered in my research.
An Overview of Trader Joe’s Norwegian Salmon
Trader Joe’s is notoriously vague about where they source ingredients for their private label products. However, based on employee reports and some digging, it appears most if not all of their Atlantic salmon comes from large industrial fish farms in Norway. On their frozen salmon packages, they identify the product as “farm-raised Norwegian salmon.”
Norway is one of the world’s top producers of farmed Atlantic salmon. In fact, it’s their second most valuable exported goods after oil. The country has thousands of fish farms dotting its western coastal region, many operated by large seafood corporations.
Trader Joe’s likely sources from one or more of these major producers, like Cermaq, SalMar, Leroy Seafood, or Mowi These massive operations raise millions of salmon in crowded underwater cages, aiming to produce fish as efficiently and cheaply as possible
Potential Risks of Trader Joe’s Farmed Norwegian Salmon
While fish farming has helped meet growing seafood demand, large-scale operations like those in Norway come with environmental and health impacts that are concerning. Here are some of the potential risks associated with Trader Joe’s Norwegian salmon:
Pollution and Waste: Thousands of crowded fish produce concentrated waste, which can pollute surrounding waters. Excess food, medicines, and fish feces build up on the seafloor below farms. Several Norwegian fjords are considered ecological “dead zones” due to aquaculture pollution.
Chemical Usage: Farms use pesticides and antibiotics to control disease and parasites which can spread quickly in crowded underwater pens. Traces of these chemicals can end up in the fish consumers eat.
Escapes: Rough weather or human error frequently lead to major escape events. Escaped Atlantic salmon can outcompete wild fish for resources. Nearly 400,000 farmed salmon escape into Norwegian waters every year.
Sea Lice: These naturally occurring parasites thrive in dense farm conditions. Farms must use chemical treatments or underwater “lice skirts” to control infestations. Sea lice can spread from farms to weaken wild fish populations.
Lack of Oversight: Norway’s marine regulations have been criticized as too lenient on mega-sized feedlot-style farms. Enforcement and monitoring are often inadequate to prevent environmental and public health impacts.
Ethical Concerns: Conditions in underwater sea cages are difficult to monitor. Animal welfare groups have raised concerns about overcrowded conditions, injuries, and disease outbreaks.
Analysis of Trader Joe’s Salmon Sourcing Practices
As we can see, there are some legitimate concerns when it comes to large-scale Norwegian salmon aquaculture. However, Trader Joe’s sustainability policy says they are committed to responsible seafood sourcing. So how transparent is the grocery chain about where their salmon comes from and what precautions they take?
Unfortunately, Trader Joe’s reveals very little about their salmon suppliers or production practices. The company is characteristically vague in discussing its seafood sources. Trader Joe’s declined to provide me with any information on where exactly their Norwegian salmon comes from or steps they take to ensure its safety and sustainability.
On their website, they provide an overview of their seafood sourcing policies, with a focus on avoiding overfished species. However, it lacks meaningful details on how they assess farming practices and environmental impacts. Their code of conduct for suppliers focuses heavily on labor practices but has minimal guidelines for environmental stewardship.
By contrast, other major grocers like Whole Foods publicly identify their salmon farms and provide transparency into their aquaculture standards. Whole Foods even uses third-party certifications like the ASC to verify responsible practices. This level of transparency allows consumers to make informed choices.
The Verdict: Is Trader Joe’s Salmon Safe to Eat?
Given the lack of transparency from Trader Joe’s on where they source their Norwegian salmon and how they evaluate farm practices, it’s impossible to know for sure how risky their salmon is. Their vague policies and lack of oversight are concerning. Socially-conscious consumers may want to seek out alternative sources of salmon or other protein.
However, Trader Joe’s Norwegian salmon is still likely reasonably low risk and safe to eat in moderation.Norway has strict food safety laws which prohibit use of chemicals like chloramphenicol in seafood production. The country mandates veterinary control of antibiotics use in aquaculture as well.
The biggest concerns with Trader Joe’s salmon remain the environmental impact and ethical concerns of large-scale farming operations. While not a dire health risk, these are issues I personally care about as a consumer.
If you’re not bothered by the ambiguous ethics of Trader Joe’s sourcing, their Norwegian salmon can be an affordable and convenient option. But if you’re looking for salmon produced in more verifiably sustainable ways, it may be worth exploring alternatives, even if at a higher cost.
As someone who cares about transparency in our food system, I hope Trader Joe’s will consider being more open about their sourcing practices. In the meantime, we as individuals can make informed seafood choices that align with our values. When it comes to Trader Joe’s farmed Norwegian salmon, it’s a personal judgement call.
Final Thoughts
Tracing the origins of our food is increasingly important yet challenging in our complex global supply chains. Even at a reputable grocery chain like Trader Joe’s, we see gaps between their marketing and reality.
My exploration into their Norwegian salmon leaves me wanting more clarity around where it comes from and how it’s produced. Without greater transparency, I’m inclined to err on the side of caution and primarily buy salmon from alternative sources I consider lower risk.
Still, Trader Joe’s remains one of my go-to stores for quality and value. This article isn’t meant to indict them, but to highlight how we as shoppers need to dig deeper and demand more accountability from retailers. Voting with our dollars is an important way to shift the food system towards greater sustainability and ethical practices.
Low antibiotics, pesticides and heavy metals
Concerns have been raised about the amount of antibiotics, pesticides, and heavy metals in salmon in both Norway and Sweden.
Swedes said that the amounts of these chemicals in salmon were very low, so they didn’t think they were dangerous to health.
“When it comes to pesticides, levels increased after the amount of vegetable matter in salmon feed was increased. But the levels are so low that they are undetectable in a salmon fillet,” Hallström says.
The Swedish researchers also assessed the climate footprint associated with producing Norwegian salmon. This has also been an issue in Sweden.
Some people say that salmon raised in farms is one of the worst foods for greenhouse gas emissions.
The researchers found that Norwegian salmon has increased its climate footprint in the last decade. It has a somewhat higher climate footprint than Swedish-produced chicken and pork. But compared to similar meat products produced in Europe, the climate footprint is lower.
And farmed salmon have a significantly lower climate footprint than red meat.
It was made clear by the researchers, though, that they did not look into issues of animal welfare, health, or the impact of farmed salmon on wild salmon.
Translated by: Nancy Bazilchuk
Source:
Elinor Hallström, Friederike Ziegler, Maria Åberg: Näringsinnhåll, oönskade ämnen och klimatavtryck av odlat lax – en vetenskaplig sammanställning. (Nutritional content, unwanted substances and climate footprints of farmed salmon – a scientific compilation). Report from RISE Institute of Sweden, 2020.
Sciencenorway. no brings you science news from Norway. This is the English version of forskning. no, Norway’s independent, online newspaper on science. Sciencenorway. no har artikler fra forskning. no på engelsk.
Swedish researchers have assessed one of Norways most important export products, farmed salmon, in a new report.
Swedes love salmon. And almost all the salmon they eat comes from Norway.
But just as in Norwya, farmed salmon has been hotly debated in the Swedish media in recent years.
In 2019, the Swedish magazine Filter announced its investigative report on Norwegian farmed salmon like this:
“Ninety-seven per cent of the salmon we eat in Sweden is farmed and from Norway. Farmed salmon are fed food that contains heavy metals and toxins. Tens of thousands of tonnes of pesticides are used to combat diseases and pests. In addition, the fish farms themselves kill shellfish and cause eutrophication. ”.
So, the Swedish Fisheries Association asked RISE, an independent state research institute, to look into Norwegian salmon more.
“Many of the media reports have been negative about Norwegian farmed salmon. So, we chose to look at the most controversial topics: health effects, unwanted substances, and the impact on the environment, according to Elinor Hallström, one of the researchers who worked on the report.
Hallström was responsible for addressing health-related questions.
The researchers conducted a literature review of recent research on these three topics.
They have also relied on data from European and international authorities.
People on both sides of the debate say that farmed salmon isn’t really that healthy to eat because salmon feed now has a lot more vegetable ingredients than it used to.
“It’s true that the feed has changed a lot over the past few years. It now contains a lot more plants, which has changed the nutritional value.” In particular, levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and vitamin D have decreased,” Hallström said.
But the overall levels of these important nutrients are still high.
When scientists looked at salmon meat next to pork, beef, and chicken meat, they found that salmon has more of many important nutrients.
“When it comes to iron and zinc, animal meat is higher. If you want to get Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and selenium, farm-raised salmon is better than meat.
Trader Joe’s Salmon vs. “Sushi-Grade”: Is It Worth the Splurge?
Does Trader Joe’s have salmon fillets?
Does Trader Joe’s have Salmon Fillets?Yes. TJ’s has fillets in the refrigerated section and the frozen section! Does Trader Joe’s have Alaskan salmon?Yes, they do! Just be sure to look at the label to ensure you’re getting the highest quality. “Alaskan Salmon,” “Wild Salmon,” “Wild Sockeye,” the list goes on.
How much does salmon cost at Trader Joe’s?
With a score of 6.4, the second-highest rating went to a Trader Joe’s farmed salmon from Norway ($10.99/lb.). In fact, all of the top five finishers were farmed, averaging between twelve to thirteen dollars per pound. Meanwhile the bottom three on the list were all wild salmon, with an average price between fourteen and seventeen dollars per pound.
Is Trader Joe’s Salmon good quality?
Is Trader Joe’s salmon worth it? Is Trader Joe’s Salmon Good Quality?The healthiest, yummiest salmon you can buy is Wild-Caught Pacific/Alaska Salmon, and thankfully TJ’s has an excellent selection of frozen fillets, smoked and canned, as you’ll see below!
Can you eat Norwegian salmon raw?
For fans of TJ’s AND poke, I suggest using their Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon. I looked into this and discovered two things: Norwegian farmed salmon doesn’t carry parasites, so there’s no risk of getting sick from eating it raw. Norwegian fish farms are different than here.