Wild Salmon
Salmon is one of America’s favorite dishes but it can signal something fishy on a menu. The ocean conservation group Oceana in October revealed that salmon is frequently mislabeled on meus.
More than two-thirds of the mislabeled salmon involved farmed salmon being sold as a wild-caught product. Why would restaurants miscast farm-raised fish as seafood caught in the wild?
For one, wild salmon costs as much as twice the price of farmed salmon. That would allow a restaurant to make more money by selling a cheaper product at a higher price.
Farmed salmon has also been flagged for health concerns, including the addition of coloring to give its flesh the same color as wild salmon.
How can you avoid getting duped? Oceana recommends ordering wild salmon when it’s in season – during the summer – and asking about the source of the fish.
