In order to produce a fish that resembles wild salmon, salmon farmers typically use corn and soy pellets that are supplemented with astaxanthin - often, a synthetically-derived source of astaxanthin, rather than antioxidants that naturally occur in the wild. Why bother taking this extra, costly step? Because it sells.Īccording to research conducted by DSM, a company that supplies dye to salmon farmers, different intensities of salmon dye appeal to different consumer bases. Without carotenoids, their flesh would look grey or beige, not pink or red. Without shrimp or krill, farmed salmon can't consume naturally-occurring carotenoids. ![]() Farmed Salmon Are Pink Because of Color Added to Their Feedįarmed salmon is generally on the pinker side, also because of its diet, but not for the same reasons. Now, does it taste the same as its more colorful counterpart? That’s up for debate. In the past, fishermen and women used to stay away from this oddity, but white-fleshed, wild-caught king salmon is now considered more of a delicacy. Then there’s the special case of king salmon, which can carry a recessive trait that leads to white or ivory flesh. For example, sockeye and coho salmon tend to be the deepest in color, while pink salmon is pinker. Each species of salmon eats a different proportion of these carotenoid-rich crustaceans, which influences how pink or red they become. This unique "salmon pink" color reflects this carnivore’s diet of shrimp and krill. Even as eggs, salmon are pinkish to a reddish-orange. In the wild, salmon get their characteristic hue from the creatures they eat, similar to flamingos. Wild Salmon Get Their Color From Eating Shrimp and Krill Farmed salmon, in contrast, get their carotenoids from manmade pellets. ![]() In the wild, salmon regularly consume a diet rich in a carotenoid called astaxanthin, an antioxidant that has the power to brighten their flesh. Have you ever heard that if you eat a bunch of carrots, you’ll turn orange? Salmon end up orange, pink or even red for the same exact reason: they consume carotenoids.
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