Salmon and trout consumers expect their products to feature a nice and vibrant red pink color. But truth in labelling matters. So as transparency. The derived petro-chemical additive called synthetic astaxanthin, still used by part of the industry, is not the one salmon and trout shoppers expect to get. It’s wrong to state this artificial pigment is similar to the natural sources. It’s even an official method to make the difference between a farmed and a wild salmon or trout (AOAC, Turujman et al.,1997).
The enclosed table describes the main differences between natural sources and synthetic astaxanthin. Contact me if you want to know more.
Photo: US Riverence trout fillet, with natural color added
