It's not just mad cow disease

Again, animal feed is implicated in health questions, as CNN reported on January 8.

Washington (Reuters) - Farmed salmon contains far more toxic chemicals than wild salmon - high enough to suggest that fish-eaters limit how much they eat, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

The culprit is "salmon chow" - the feed given to the captive fish, the researchers report in this week's issue of the journal Science.

Many health experts urge people to eat fish such as salmon because it contains healthy fats, especially the omega-3 fatty acids that can lower the risk of heart disease and perhaps have other health benefits, too.

But the researchers, as well as environmental groups, said the findings in Science indicate that people should choose their fish carefully. They should also demand that salmon be clearly labeled to indicate whether it is farmed or wild so they can make informed choices about which fish to eat.

The team at Indiana University, University at Albany, Cornell University and elsewhere analyzed toxic contaminants in 700 farmed and wild salmon taken from markets in 16 cities in Europe and North America.

In eight of those cities, levels of 13 tested-for contaminants in the farmed salmon were so high that consumers should eat no more than four to eight ounces of it a month. In six others, the levels found indicated that no more than one pound should be consumed per month. On the other hand, it was found that eating four pounds of wild salmon a month would still be within EPA safety standards.

The study fits in with other research on chemicals in salmon. Two studies published in the journal Chemosphere last year found elevated levels of PCBs, certain pesticides, and flame retardants in farmed salmon.

And last year the Environmental Working Group said it found elevated PCB levels in farmed salmon filets taken from 10 U.S. grocery stores.

I'd say be a vegan - but of course they still have pesticides to worry about....