The Color Of Your Salmon May Not Be Completely Natural

Salmon is easy to recognize when you go to the fish counter at the grocery store. It's difficult to miss that bright, pinkish-orange color flesh flanked by all those white-fleshed fish options. You might even think the color of the salmon helps you determine if it is a good piece of fish, but you shouldn't rely on color when shopping for salmon. Why? Spoiler: The color of some salmon may not be completely natural — it depends largely on whether it's wild or farmed. This is why understanding the key difference between Pacific and Atlantic salmon is helpful.

Pacific salmon is generally a deep pinkish-red color and is found in the wild. U.S. Atlantic salmon is always farm-raised. Salmon gets its pink color from a pigment called astaxanthin. For wild salmon, it's found in the krill, algae, and other small fish it feeds upon out in the wild. However, for farmed salmon, where the habitat doesn't give them access to krill, this pigment is added to its diet to give its flesh that rosy blush. Without the addition of astaxanthin, farmed salmon are naturally gray or even white. This might have you wondering if there are any negative side effects from eating farmed salmon that have consumed this additive.

Astaxanthin will not harm you or the fish; it actually increases the nutritional value of the salmon. Astaxanthin is part of the carotenoid family and has anti-inflammatory properties that can help decrease stress-related diseases in humans. While it is generally synthetically made, this added color is becoming more frequently created using microalgae or Phaffia yeast for a more natural additive. Astaxanthin is also important for the health of the fish. It helps promote both muscle growth and egg production for farmed-raised salmon. 

Now that you know it's safe, what should you look for when buying a piece of salmon? Wild salmon like sockeye is going to be a vibrant orange-red while farmed fish is going to be much lighter in color. However, a bright pink color is less important than its texture. You want a firm, moist piece of fish. If it looks dry, not even your secret cream cheese hack for the best baked salmon will work to give you a tangy, succulent bite. So, choose your salmon wisely.