Chilean Salmon

[Deb]

http://news.yahoo.com/addicted-antibiot ... nance.html

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's salmon farmers are using record levels of antibiotics to treat a virulent and pervasive bacteria, driving away some U.S. retailers including Costco Wholesale Corp, which is turning to antibiotic-free Norwegian salmon.

The coastal waters of Chile, the world's second-largest producer of salmon, are awash with a bacteria known as SRS, or Piscirickettsiosis. The bacteria causes lesions and haemorrhaging in infected fish, and swells their kidneys and spleens, eventually killing them.

Unable to develop an effective vaccine, Chilean farmers have been forced to increase antibiotic use. In 2014, the industry produced around 895,000 tonnes of fish and used 563,200 kilograms (1.2 million pounds) of antibiotics, according to government and industry data. Antibiotic use had risen 25 percent from 2013.

In contrast, Norway, the world's largest salmon producer, produced around 1.3 million tonnes of fish and used 972 kilos of antibiotics in 2013. (Figures for last year were not immediately available)

Chilean officials say their salmon is safe and the antibiotics have been approved by U.S. food and drug regulators.

Still, amid growing concerns in the U.S. food industry that heavy use of antibiotics in animals can spawn drug-resistant superbugs and endanger human health, Costco told Reuters in April that it would reduce imports of Chilean salmon.

"The whole industry is starting to shift," said Jeff Lyons, who oversees fresh foods at Costco, the No. 3 U.S. retailer.

"If I was to ask you your biggest concern on produce, you might say pesticides. When we ask people in protein, generally it's going to be hormones or antibiotics."

Costco used to buy 90 percent of the 600,000 pounds of salmon fillet it needs per week from Chile, accounting for about 8.5 percent of Chilean salmon exports to the United States. Costco said it intends to buy 60 percent of its salmon from Norway, cutting Chilean imports to 40 percent.

[Lilja]

Hi Deb,

I don't really understand the aim of your link, or what you want to discuss, but I must say: I have reduced my intake of salmon to once a week. Even if my variety of my menu is so poor, I'm suspicious.

Lilia

PS: I don't understand why some of our dear members just post a link with no personal comments. Should'nt we discuss our own opinions and thoughts, instead of just referring to medical reports and journal articles via links?

[tex]

PS: I don't understand why some of our dear members just post a link with no personal comments. Should'nt we discuss our own opinions and thoughts, instead of just referring to medical reports and journal articles via links?

I may have been guilty of doing that myself a time or 2 over the years, although usually my posts are likely to be too long-winded, rather than too short.

But I have to say that with you. In this particular case, I think I understand what Deb was trying to say, because the information she quoted describes the problem fairly clearly (beware that Chilean salmon may be loaded with antibiotics), but many times in the past, I have seen links posted that left me wondering what the heck the poster was actually trying to say, even after reading the article referenced by the link.

Thanks for bringing up that point.

Tex

[Deb]

Sorry Lilia, I thought it was pretty self explanatory. I plan to avoid salmon that has been treated so extensively with antibiotics, believing that there are healthier alternatives.It sounds like salmon from your area is the one I'll be looking for. I have found this board to be a good place to put articles that may be of interest to our health thus this posting. Deb

[louis]

would it be fine to eat salmon every day, like 250 gramm or so, as long as its wild salmon and not farmed one, or could the mercury content become an issue over time, even if salmon is rather low in mercury compared to other fish like tuna? Because salmon seems to be a meat i can tolerate quite well.

[Lilja]

Hi,

I didn't mean to be rude og disrespectful, but I'm so sick of the whole salmon industry. The authorities discover all kinds of things that are not so well, the industry promises to avoid antibiotics etc, until a new "discovery" (lice, parasites etc) is made.

The FDA in Norway says that it is ok to eat salmon once a week. I trust them.

Lilia

[tex]

Hi Louis,

Most authorities agree that Alaskan wild salmon have the lowest mercury levels of any commercially-available salmon. Some "authorities" say that it's safe to eat Alaskan wild salmon at least several times each week. However, the State of Alaska says this:

People who are concerned about the mercury levels in fish can reduce their exposure by eating fish lower in mercury, such as any type of wild Alaska salmon. Everyone can eat as much wild Alaska salmon as they would like.

Alaska Fish Facts & Consumption Guidelines

Tex