Natural Isn’t Always a Guarantee

In the midst of a growing consumer demand for all things natural, I was reminded today that—in addition to the inherent dangers of many natural products as typified by ma huang (ephedra)—natural doesn’t always guarantee a better, safer food product.

A new study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has found that levels of mercury and trace metals in both wild and farmed Canadian salmon from British Columbia are significantly below health guidelines, however the “natural” wild fish seem more prone to pick up higher levels. According to the press release for the article: “Mercury levels tested in both farmed and wild salmon were well below consumption guidelines set by Health Canada. Maximum concentrations of other metals were also well below guidelines. Farmed salmon did not have significantly higher concentrations of arsenic, cobalt, copper, or cadmium than wild salmon. In fact, mercury concentrations in the flesh of wild salmon were threefold higher, probably because farmed fish have such rapid growth cycles, resulting in growth dilution. No differences were found between pre- and postprocessing levels for farmed fish.”

Keep in mind that most experts say the health benefits of both these fishes’ omega-3 content outweigh any slight chance of a danger from mercury or any other metal contaminants—a position I agree with, in case that matters more than the advice of the experts...

Next I’d like to see someone discuss any alleged problems with “artificially colored” salmon—you know, the “chemicals” many of us call canthaxanthin and astaxanthin.

   —Lynn A. Kuntz