The nutrients that impart the pink flesh color are included in the feed of farm-raised salmon. One of these nutrients, astaxanthin, is identical to the astaxanthin that salmon which swim in the wild ingest when they feed on other marine organisms, such as krill and small shrimp.
Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid in the same family of nutrients as vitamin A and has a vital nutritional function as well as providing color to the flesh of wild and farmed salmon.
All living organisms require carotenoids in one form or another for proper growth and development. Beta-carotene - the pigment that makes carrots orange - is the most familiar carotenoid, however these carotenoids are found almost everywhere in both plants and animals.
The level of astaxanthin found in the flesh of both wild and farm-raised salmon is essentially the same, although some highly pigmented wild salmon may have higher levels.
Additionally, astaxanthin has been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States and by numerous food regulatory bodies around the world for use in a wide variety of food products. However, unlike in most other foods, in salmon astaxanthin is not added to the fish, but is provided in the feed. Hatchery-raised salmon destined for release to enhance wild stocks also receive astaxanthin as a nutritional supplement in their feed.
The other carotenoid used in salmon feed, canthaxanthin, which is used in place of or with astaxanthin, is found naturally in trout, mushrooms and other foods. It too is approved by the FDA and numerous regulatory bodies around the world and is currently added directly to a wide variety of foods.
For More Information visit www.salmonoftheamericas.com
Salmon of the Americas is an organization of salmon-producing companies in Canada, Chile and the United States whose mission is to improve health, awareness and dining enjoyment of consumers in North America by providing timely, complete, accurate and insightful information about salmon on behalf of the member companies.
Carotenoids: any of a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants and animals. (Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University)
Carotenoids areused extensively as safe, natural colorants for food, feed, and cosmetics, are known to be essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, and are a main dietary source of vitamin A in humans. (Source: carotenoidsociety.org)
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