tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post5321757534360276894..comments2024-03-13T06:29:02.843-04:00Comments on Do You Really Know What You're Eating?: When package information lets you downVictor E. Sassonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-47542620570484654292014-06-06T07:51:33.547-04:002014-06-06T07:51:33.547-04:00Also, Copper River salmon isn't two times the ...Also, Copper River salmon isn't two times the price of other sockeye. Prices have gone up for other sockeye and last year, Costco sold wild coho salmon.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-50415397605538995322014-06-06T07:48:24.201-04:002014-06-06T07:48:24.201-04:00I read an article in The New York Times more than ...I read an article in The New York Times more than a decade ago that salmon farmers are shown a color palate by the feed sales people, and asked which color they would like their fish to be.<br /><br />It has nothing to do with fat content. How would veins of fat affect color? <br /><br />I have no reason to believe farmed salmon are being raised in the same manner as described in that article.<br /><br />And with wild salmon available year-round fresh, frozen or smoked, there is no need to add colored fish to your diet.<br /><br />Plus, Costco's wild cod is now the legendary Atlantic fish that once fed the world.<br /><br />So, farmed salmon is really the mediocre choice.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-17141999542433834392014-06-06T07:39:02.190-04:002014-06-06T07:39:02.190-04:00Costco's Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon ta...Costco's Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon tastes raw in the good sense, as if you are eating a seasoned slice of sashimi. <br /><br />It's perfect over salad, rolled up with a slice of cheese and dipped in Dijon mustard and added to eggs, which is when it cooks a little and gets flaky.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-62563900648288202132014-06-06T04:00:02.450-04:002014-06-06T04:00:02.450-04:00Lox is cold smoked, so it has a "raw" te...Lox is cold smoked, so it has a "raw" texture.<br /><br />Smoked salmon doesn't really say much. It can be cold smoked (i.e. lox) or it can be hot smoked, with a cooked, flaky texture.<br /><br />Traditionally, lox was made with Atlantic salmon (lox is Germanic in origin), but now it's made with all sorts of varieties.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-46422648704262164852014-06-06T03:56:51.501-04:002014-06-06T03:56:51.501-04:00Fat content and salmon variety also affect flesh c...Fat content and salmon variety also affect flesh coloration. So when you are looking at wild and farmed salmon side by side at Costco, you are NOT looking at two identical salmon species. Most likely you are looking at farmed Atlantic salmon and wild Pacific salmon.<br /><br />Atlantic salmon generally has a higher fat content that Pacific salmon (especially higher than Sockeye), so it will be typically be lighter in color. The higher fat content does make Atlantic salmon taste "fishier," but it also makes it easier to cook without drying it out. The same can be said about wild caught Copper River sockeye, which sells at Costco for 2x the price of "regular" sockeye. The higher fat content (and marketing) is what drives up the price.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-81645976401747699162014-06-06T03:51:56.614-04:002014-06-06T03:51:56.614-04:00Salmon gets its color from eating crustaceans. It&...Salmon gets its color from eating crustaceans. It's the carotenoids that give salmon it's color. Most wild salmon populations in the world are orange or red because of this. There is a wild population of salmon somewhere in Eastern Europe (I forget where) with naturally gray flesh. This is because carotenoids are absent from its natural diet.<br /><br />With that said, farmed salmon are usually given canthaxanthin or astaxanthin in their feed, to make it's flesh red. The vast vast vast majority of farmed salmon in the markets are Atlantic salmon, while most Pacific salmon species are wild caught. Just as the color in wild Pacific salmon can vary (i.e. Sockeye is redder than Coho), so can the color in Atlantic salmon, whether farmed or wild (though you won't find any of the latter in markets).<br /><br />So while the color of farmed Atlantic salmon is a result of the additives in its feed, the fact that it's a completely different species is the primary factor in the color difference you see. Heck, they're not only a different species, they are in a different genus from Pacific salmon species!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-20367268326270121862013-07-25T07:03:32.989-04:002013-07-25T07:03:32.989-04:00At Whole Foods Market recently, the fishmonger sai...At Whole Foods Market recently, the fishmonger said the farmed salmon sold by the organic food chain is colored with yeast, but other farmed salmon, especially the stuff selling for $4.99 a pound, is colored with chemicals in the feed. The contrast in color between farmed and wild was dramatic. Wild salmon's deep orange-red color has undeniable eye appeal.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-56393061540159249142013-07-25T06:55:55.981-04:002013-07-25T06:55:55.981-04:00Thank you, Gary.Thank you, Gary.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-73163629335540962542013-07-24T21:15:46.694-04:002013-07-24T21:15:46.694-04:00Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on...Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on what they eat. Flamingos eat algae and crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. For the most part, these pigments are found in the brine shrimp and blue-green algae that the birds eat. Enzymes in the liver break down the carotenoids into the pink and orange pigment molecules deposited in the feathers, bill, and legs of the flamingos.Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00582599619608318439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-7919260568989684122013-04-27T20:23:04.952-04:002013-04-27T20:23:04.952-04:00An article with some basic information about the c...An article with some basic information about the colorant, some general risks concerning farmed Chilean fish, and an explanation why we're seeing more steelhead in the coolers at Costco...<br />http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/theology-of-salmon-wild-or-farmed/#.UXxrOLU3uSo<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-3740714100359241602013-04-13T05:52:27.240-04:002013-04-13T05:52:27.240-04:00well said anonymous. .thanks for the education!well said anonymous. .thanks for the education!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-49356615929917683632013-03-08T00:49:57.770-05:002013-03-08T00:49:57.770-05:00I'm all for wild-caught and sustainable fishin...I'm all for wild-caught and sustainable fishing. However, this statement just irked me, so I have to comment. First you denied that flamingos are colored pink by the crustaceans they eat--sorry, anyone with a couple of bio classes under their belt knows that one. (See? Degrees are good for something other than toilet tissue). Secondly, you admitted that you have no access to go fish for wild salmon, so where are you getting your info regarding "hatchery fish"?? I'm from Northern California, a few miles from a hatchery, in a family that LOVES to fish, so I can tell you that if you dam up a river, the salmon will never make it up to lay their eggs, so you must have hatcheries to facilitate that. Since Pacific salmon migrate thousands of miles, you better believe that loads of those Alaskan-caught salmon actually began their lives in hatcheries, just like the one I grew up near, all along the west coast. Had you just made those ill-informed statements, I would have ignored it, but to layer inflammatory language on top of ignorance is just unacceptable. Reminds me of one of my dad's favorite sayings: Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-28236793182767040872013-02-04T09:58:24.876-05:002013-02-04T09:58:24.876-05:00Just watched Salmon Wars, amazing documentary on t...Just watched Salmon Wars, amazing documentary on the ill effects of aquaculture and some new and improved fish farms, done in containers, with filtered water systems and no colouring or antibiotics or pesticides! Hope the industry moves quickly to create healthy fish!<br />leafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03977558760371166775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-78521509057177859662012-11-05T08:22:03.743-05:002012-11-05T08:22:03.743-05:00This last comment is just blowing smoke for the sa...This last comment is just blowing smoke for the salmon farmers. "Natural extract" and "hatchery fish" released into the wild are patently false statements. Don't you have anything better to do? Use your degree to wipe your you know what.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-89057855595715125072012-11-04T22:32:59.615-05:002012-11-04T22:32:59.615-05:00I have a MS in fisheries resources and have studie...I have a MS in fisheries resources and have studied at worked at hatcheries and farms. The dye at farms is usually Canthaxanthin, a nmatural extract of shrimp shells, to make up for the lack of krill. Some wild kings salmon don't eat much krill, or more-to-the-point, the herring they eat didn't get much krill to move up the food chain. It is harmless.<br /><br />People are easily swayed by fear-mongering. Of coure we'd all prefer wild pheasant to chicken, but it's not sustainable to feed 7 billion people wild food. <br /><br />Finally "wild" salmon label means it's a hatchery fish , released into the wild while young, so most of it's life and diet are wild. Truly wild, native-spawned fish should be left alone, too rare and many are endangered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-61122845326670059752012-11-04T22:07:55.747-05:002012-11-04T22:07:55.747-05:00Yes, flamingos get their color eating some red/pin...Yes, flamingos get their color eating some red/pink water creatures from the lake.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-4269532028627377872012-04-26T12:26:04.620-04:002012-04-26T12:26:04.620-04:00Thanks for your comment.
I don't think artif...Thanks for your comment. <br /><br />I don't think artificial color can kill you, but I prefer all-natural fish eating its normal diet.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-6363592932037592302012-04-26T09:05:54.577-04:002012-04-26T09:05:54.577-04:00The most commonly used color enhancer used in Chil...The most commonly used color enhancer used in Chilean aquaculture is canthaxanthin. Canthaxanthin itself is a natural carotenoid found in many different plants. It is the natural coloring of apples and many other fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Canthaxanthin functions as an ultra violet photon absorber, a singlet and triplet oxygen quencher and free radical deactivator.<br /><br />I wish I could afford wild caught Pacific Salmon more often but since I am retired on a fixed, and somewhat restrictive, income I must eat what I can afford which is Chilean Steelhead Trout from Sam's Club. I've been eating it for years and I'm still kicking.Charlie Sommershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04138657924532718369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-39080302287292222642012-03-25T11:58:45.927-04:002012-03-25T11:58:45.927-04:00Please tell us the difference. I believe it has so...Please tell us the difference. I believe it has something to do with salt content.<br /><br />Lox is my shorthand reference to smoked wild salmon, the only kind I eat, as in "wild lox."Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-92208421754455217572012-03-25T10:30:38.643-04:002012-03-25T10:30:38.643-04:00Smoked Salmon and lox are not the same thing.Smoked Salmon and lox are not the same thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-88641921893947650272012-03-08T18:21:50.594-05:002012-03-08T18:21:50.594-05:00that's just not true....
As quoted from Wikip...that's just not true....<br /><br />As quoted from Wikipedia:<br /><br />"The name "sockeye" is an anglicization of suk-kegh (sθə́qəy̓), its name in Halkomelem, the language of the indigenous people along the lower reaches of the Fraser River (one of British Columbia's many native Coast Salish languages). Suk-kegh means red fish"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-57013103040959439702012-03-07T12:22:27.947-05:002012-03-07T12:22:27.947-05:00Boy, I really envy you.
In North Jersey, I enjoy...Boy, I really envy you. <br /><br />In North Jersey, I enjoy fresh wild salmon for only about five months, then have to buy the frozen stuff.<br /><br />In late May or early June, we get salmon from the Copper River in Alaska. Are those the females, before or after they lay their eggs?Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-62968392580296566712012-03-07T11:30:37.615-05:002012-03-07T11:30:37.615-05:00Although raised a city girl, I now live in Alaska ...Although raised a city girl, I now live in Alaska and am lucky enough to catch our own wild salmon which is deep orange in color. We clean it, cut it and freeze it. We mulch all the heads and scraps into our organic garden.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-26459021518779565552012-01-12T06:24:40.599-05:002012-01-12T06:24:40.599-05:00So, basically, you're saying it's an artif...So, basically, you're saying it's an artificial coloring agent.<br /><br />I've always heard salmon get their color from the shrimp and krill they eat while maturing in oceans.<br /><br />I'd still rather eat wild-caught salmon than the farmed variety. The New York Times reported seven or eight years ago that salmon farmers are shown a color palette so they can custom order feed that would give their fish the desired hue.<br /><br />When you see wild and farmed salmon side by side, as at Costco Wholesale, the wild fish have a deeper color that is evident from 10 feet away.Victor E. Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920237909721053423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651217485085288423.post-35464022732201652092012-01-11T19:54:17.288-05:002012-01-11T19:54:17.288-05:00Astaxanthin, an oxycarotenoid, is what gives salmo...Astaxanthin, an oxycarotenoid, is what gives salmon and flamingos their color. It is present in copepods that are natural food in wild environments. Many salmonid farmers use feed that contains Hoffman La Roch's synthetic astaxanthin, which is a "color additive" regulated by FDA (CFR Title 21 Part 73). Astaxanthin contains several chiral isomers. The astaxanthin present in wild salmonids has a certain ratio of these isomers, and is "optically active". Synthetic astaxanthin has distinctively different ratios and is optically inactive. These compositional differences and resulting properties are the basis for methods to analytically determine the presence of synthetic astaxanthin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com