Between salmon and humans, it’s an old story of complicity. This great carnivore of cold waters has always been the delight of the populations who previously captured it in rivers. Skeletal remains of this predator have been found near prehistoric sites in Brassempouy¹. Subsequently, and until the industrial revolution, salmon remained an abundant and easily accessible commodity, to such an extent that French domestic servants asked in contracts of praise not to eat it more than three times a week.². Difficult to store and within everyone’s reach, it is considered a fatty and unrefined dish. The industrial revolution, however, will sweep away these representations. Since the XNUMXth century, the populations of wild salmon have been in constant decline. The process will then be reversed: henceforth a sought-after commodity, salmon, whose prices will continue to rise, becomes food for the rich.

Salmon, a regular on plates

Today, salmon is no longer jealous of the middle classes. In foil, smoked, cooked with three spices or raw in sushi, it is found everywhere. How long ago the time when it was reserved for festive tables! The explanations for this new reversal can be summed up in one word: industrialization. From the hatchery to the slaughterhouse, through butchering and mass distribution, companies have democratized its consumption since the 80s. Its cultivation has been the determining factor: now, more than half of the fish consumed. in the world is the result of breeding. This is how it has become, by far, the most consumed fish in France. “Sales of smoked salmon have increased from 6 to 000 tonnes in twenty years and are less concentrated during the Christmas period”, says Jacques Trottier, general manager of Labeyrie. Easy to cook, boneless and enjoying a very good reputation, salmon is popular with everyone, whether it comes from fishing or farming. However, in recent years, unease has set in among some consumers. A discomfort that strikes those who seek to discover the underside of the agri-food industry. Is Salmon So Good For Health? Does it contain, as we can hear, heavy metals, antibiotics and other pesticides? What are we hiding and why? Between the sensational reports to charge, the contradictory studies and the communication actions of the salmon industry, difficult however to see clearly…

Really undeniable virtues?

Nutritionists all agree in recognizing the multiple benefits conferred by the consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon. Excellent source of complete proteins, it contains large amounts of phosphorus and selenium, as well as many vitamins (B1, B3, B5, B12, D). But what makes it so interesting in the eyes of researchers is its rich content of omega-3, famous fatty acids which have been praised since the 1970s. At that time, Danish researchers, working on the Inuit populations of the Greenland, realize that they hardly ever suffer from cardiovascular disease. Their reflection stops on their diet rich in fatty fish and the link with omega-3 is put forward for the first time. A hypothesis that will be confirmed shortly after, thanks to a Japanese study on inhabitants of Kohama Island whose food characteristics were similar to those of the Inuit. Since then, many studies have come to support this assumption: omega-3s reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.³, depression⁴, Alzheimer’s disease⁵ or arthritis^6, and promote the proper functioning of the brain⁹. Other studies, done specifically on salmon, have shown that these same fatty acids lower blood pressure.⁶, the triglyceride level⁷ and the formation of blood clots⁸, thereby reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. These studies are more publicized and highlighted than those that do not establish any link between omega-3 and cardiovascular health. And yet there are! In 2012, a team of researchers threw freezing cold on the medical and agri-food industries. Using a meta-analysis, published by the JAMA, these researchers synthesized the results of 20 studies involving more than 68 individuals¹⁰. Without seeing the slightest impact of omega-3 supplementation on sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction or stroke …

The stakes are very high because salmon and fatty fish, in general, are the only foods to contain such a high level of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the human organism cannot synthesize them by itself. If these nutrients are really beneficial, then the consumption of these fish should be encouraged. This is generally the line adopted by most national agencies and health security associations in recommending to consume at least two portions of fish per week, including at least one fatty fish (such as salmon). Recently, however, organizations have backed down. The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) now encourages the population to limiter his fish consumption at two servings per week. She also recommends “ vary the species and places of supply (wild, breeding, fishing grounds) as part of a diversified diet »And provides more precise recommendations for the populations most at risk, such as pregnant women or young children. Similarly, the Norwegian government tempered its advice on oily fish in 2013. Simple precautionary measures or real awareness?

Potential risks

Whether they come from farming or fishing, salmon are the subject of permanent doubts on the part of ecological associations and the slightest compromising study is widely reported by the media. These suspicions are symptomatic of a world where food is now produced by an incredible industry, in search of perpetual profit. The food scandals, the last of which concerned horse meat, leave consumers with a bitter taste, disgusted by the discoveries of the workings of the agro-food world. It is in this context that a report broadcast on a French television channel (France 2) set fire to the powders last November. For nearly an hour, the journalist strives to prove that farmed salmon (especially those from Norway) are among the “most toxic foods in the world”. Chemicals, antibiotics, heavy metals, pesticides: everything goes. A chilling trip to the land of salmon that made the powerful agri-food lobby, Norge, jump. The reaction of the latter on its website, takes up point by point the accusations of the report very dependent. Later in this dossier, we will come back to the possible risks of salmon aquaculture. This is not the only sector targeted by criticism: fishing is also under attack due to pollution ravaging the oceans. ” Overall, farmed salmon is better than wild salmon because the seas are contaminated with various products », Affirms Jean-François Narbonne, professor of toxicology at the University of Bordeaux and expert at AFSSA. Faced with this imbroglio, consumers prefer to remain wary: in November 2013, according to Kantar Worldpanel figures, sales of fresh salmon fell by 25% in volume compared to last year and by 10,8% for smoked salmon. .

In fact, the key is to know whether the supposed benefits of salmon (such as the prevention of cardiovascular risks) outweigh the uncertainties about toxicological risks or not …