Are colours or dyes used in farmed salmon?
Farmed salmon are not injected with dye or artificial colours. Both wild and farmed salmon get their characteristic reddish colour from pigments in their food. These pigments are responsible for many of the natural red, orange and yellow hues in food products – such as beta–carotene in carrots. Salmon, like people, need these pigments for healthy growth and must get these nutrients through their diet. Wild salmon hunt and eat small crustaceans like shrimp with high levels of natural pigments. Farmed fish rely on feed supplements which include two pigments (astaxanthin and canthaxanthin) to provide them with the proper nutrition and colour. Their use has been approved in Canada by the CFIA for the last 15 years.
Farmed salmon are not injected with dye or artificial colours. Both wild and farmed salmon get their characteristic reddish colour from pigments in their food. These pigments are responsible for many of the natural red, orange and yellow hues in food products such as betacarotene in carrots. Salmon, like people, need these pigments for healthy growth and must get these nutrients through their diet. Wild salmon hunt and eat small crustaceans like shrimp with high levels of natural pigments. Farmed fish rely on feed supplements which include two pigments (astaxanthin and canthaxanthin) to provide them with the proper nutrition and colour. Their use has been approved in Canada by the CFIA for the last 15 years.
