Images showing injured or damaged salmon intended for export are causing concern…
A few weeks before Christmas, the revelation comes at a rather bad time. Journalists from Norwegian public television NRK claim to have discovered, in certain farms, salmon with sores, dark spots and visible skin lesions. These fish should never have left Norway: they are part of “declassified” batches, normally excluded from sale.
The problem, according to the investigation, is that some of them were sent to several European countries – including France – under the “superior quality” label, impossible to distinguish for distributors and buyers alike. Salmon is the most consumed species of farmed fish in the European Union. Norway, the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon, is its main supplier. 70% of Norway’s farmed salmon goes to Europe. Poland and France are the largest importing countries.
The Norwegian authorities recognize “serious shortcomings” in sorting: “Our assessment is that all photos show fish with defects that make them unfit for human consumption” the inspection experts write to NRK. “Wounded salmon is cheap to buy and can be resold at a good price. Therefore, the difference between buying and selling is greater than for premium salmon – and the profit is higher” argue the journalists. A case which embarrasses Norway, whose reputation is based precisely on the rigor of its health controls.
No product recall has been triggered in France and no communication has been made by the French health authorities for the moment. Specialists point out that a fish with an external lesion is not automatically dangerous for your health. But these defects should never be found in products sold as impeccable, especially when they are eaten raw or lightly cooked, as in sushi, tartares or poke bowls. This scandal raises a fundamental question of transparency: how can we guarantee that the batches arriving on the shelves are compliant, if export selection is lacking?
While waiting for the controls announced in Norway, a few reflexes can reassure: check the exact origin of the salmon, favor demanding labels such as ASC or Label Rouge, ask your fishmonger for details and vary the fish more (sardines, mackerel, trout). More vulnerable people – pregnant women, young children or immunocompromised people – can also choose to temporarily avoid raw farmed salmon. The results of the inspections should be known in the coming days. They will allow us to know if these damaged fish were really distributed in France, or if the affair is limited to a few Norwegian farms.
