Salmon sold in UK shops may come from farms feeding fish poultry by-products

Shoppers in the UK may be buying salmon farmed on feed containing poultry without knowing it. The report comes from Polish Express, citing findings by The Independent. According to these reports, a growing number of European suppliers have started feeding their fish poultry by-products in recent months.

What the fish are fed

A representative of Lerøy Seafood Group, which supplies salmon to Tesco, assured The Independent that the feed contains only by-products from poultry raised for human consumption. These are parts that are not fit for people to eat. The waste is ground up and given to the fish as poultry meal or oil.

Supermarkets' positions

Producers are not required to state on the packaging what the fish were fed, so shoppers cannot easily check. The Independent asked the biggest chains about it:

• Sainsbury's said it does not allow poultry ingredients in the feed for its own-brand salmon.
• Waitrose said it does not use poultry protein in the feed for its salmon.
• Tesco, which previously banned poultry meal and oil in fish feed, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Asda referred to a statement from the British Retail Consortium.

Omega-3 and consumer concerns

Salmon is valued for, among other things, its omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Fish do not produce them themselves but accumulate them by eating smaller fish and algae. According to Polish Express, fish fed chicken fat and protein will have a different fat profile, which may affect taste and nutritional value. Some consumers also worry about the transmission of pathogens or antibiotic residues, although, as the source notes, current hygiene requirements are strict and poultry feed is tested.

Why farmers turn to poultry

According to the source, wild fish traditionally used for fishmeal are caught to the limit and their prices are rising. Poultry is a cheaper and readily available alternative, and using waste may reduce the carbon footprint of poultry production.

Heather Richie, an expert on seafood retail and EU fisheries policy, believes that if a production method may influence a purchase decision, there are grounds for making that information available. In her view, customers should not have to investigate the whole supply chain themselves.

What this means for you

People buying salmon in UK shops will not find information about the feed on the packaging. If it matters to them, they can ask the shop or producer, or check the chains' statements, such as those from Sainsbury's and Waitrose, which say they do not use poultry ingredients in feed for their own-brand products.