How will the farmed salmon bought by Bon Appétit and Wegmans differ from salmon on the market now?
Most salmon sold in supermarkets and restaurants is farmed Atlantic salmon. Some chinook, or king, salmon is also farmed. Wild Atlantic salmon is endangered in the U.S and cannot be caught commercially. Salmon farming may pose environmental and health risks, including water pollution, chemical use, parasites and disease, and in some cases higher levels of PCBs and dioxins than wild fish. The purchasing policy includes standards to reduce ecological harm to wild fish and other marine life, cut waste and chemical pollution, and set stringent criteria for contaminants in salmon. Importantly, salmon produced in accordance with these standards should not cost significantly more than conventionally farmed salmon. Wild salmon from Alaska is also available in supermarkets and restaurants, especially when it’s in season. It may be labeled as wild, Alaskan, or one of five Pacific salmon species: chinook/king, coho/silver, chum/silverbrite, pink and sockeye. Alaskan salmon is always wild (since t
