Food - Drink
The Real Difference Between Farmed Salmon And Wild Salmon
By AUTUMN SWIERS
Not only are salmon heart-healthy giants, packed with omega-3 fatty acids that lower blood fat content, ease inflammation, and even speed up neurological development, they're also delicious. But, there's a key distinction that separates farmed salmon from wild salmon — and it can make a bigger difference than you might think.
Farmed salmon is typically Atlantic salmon that are typically fed a diet high in fat and protein, often synthetic, which makes them physically larger for commercial distribution. Unfortunately, this artificially manipulated diet could have a negative impact on human nutrition and environmental health.
Wild salmon, which are usually one of five types of Pacific salmon, are free to swim great distances and tend to live an overall healthier life before being caught, feeding on a diet of smaller organisms found in their natural environment, including insects, shrimp, crayfish, worms, and even herring.
Farmed salmon tends to have a milder taste and a tender texture, with large sections of intramuscular fat for moist, flaky, filets. By contrast, wild salmon has a stronger fishy flavor and tougher meat, with less fat and more calcium, though wild salmon's nutritional value can vary greatly from place to place.