A blind taste test shows that Danes prefer the taste of conventional, organic farmed smoked salmon to wild salmon.
However, the picture is turned upside down as soon as people discover where a fish comes from.
A large number of packets of sliced and vacuum-sealed smoked salmon hit Danish shopping carts every year. The vast majority of this smoked salmon comes from Norwegian aquaculture farms.
However, in recent times, conventionally farmed Norwegian salmon have gained a questionable reputation and notoriety for containing pharmaceutical and chemical residues, as well as contaminating the marine environment and spreading disease to wild populations.
However, according to the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration, salmon on the Danish market do not have a problem with unwanted chemicals and it is very rare for authorities to find pharmaceutical residues.
But it seems that our knowledge about production conditions plays an important role in how we perceive taste. A study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen emphasizes the point.
In the study, 92 Danes were asked to test samples of conventional, organic and wild smoked salmon. The first round was a blind test in which the test subjects were not informed about the type of salmon they were testing. In the second round, the subjects were informed. After each round, the test subjects rated their liking for the samples.
3 types of smoked salmon
- Conventional farmed salmon: Most conventional aquaculture is carried out on farms where the fish live in pens with nets. There is an environmental impact in terms of the discharge of chemical and pharmaceutical residues, just as farmed salmon itself can, in very rare cases, contain residues of drugs used to combat salmon lice.
- Organically grown salmon: Fish live in pens with nets, but with more space. The use of drugs is minimal and genetically modified feed is not used.
- Wild salmon: Many Atlantic salmon stocks are overexploited or fully exploited, while several North Pacific stocks are robust. Wild salmon has a higher content of environmental poisons than farmed salmon (although not to an alarming level). On the other hand, wild salmon generally has a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids.
Expectations shape taste
In the blind test, conventional and organic salmon outperformed wild salmon, which scored significantly lower than either of the two culture products. Beyond that, conventional salmon tended to be more palatable than organic. However, once the test subjects were briefed on the production method, things quickly changed. Among reported respondents, conventional salmon ranked last, while wild salmon ranked second and organic salmon first.
“The test shows that people’s expectations of a product are based on the information they receive and that this affects their overall taste experience. With smoked salmon, there seems to be a perception that wild salmon should taste better than conventional farmed salmon. However, the blind test revealed that people simply preferred the taste of farmed salmon, ”says first author and PhD fellow Mausam Budhathoki, who conducted the study in conjunction with his graduate thesis in the department of food science.
According to the researchers, there are several possible explanations for people’s preference for farmed fish.
“One possibility is that people are more familiar with the taste and color of farmed salmon, as this is clearly the most widely available type of salmon on the market. Another reason may be that wild salmon has less flavor because it is leaner than farmed salmon, as was the case here, ”suggests Budhathoki.
Knowledge gaps
The study, which also included focus group interviews, reveals that Danes don’t know much about farm-raised salmon.
“It seems that many Danes are quite confused about the differences between various salmon products. This is for good reason, as the salmon production chain is long and relatively opaque. Many factors can influence perceptions of a product. Do you have any pharmaceutical residue? Does it come from an overfished stock? Have you lived a natural life? And what exactly is fish welfare? “says lead author Helene Christine Reinbach, associate professor in the department of food science.
“In the test, wild salmon clearly score points for information about where they came from,” she says. “It provides positive associations about being more natural and, consequently, better in terms of animal health and welfare. However, the fact is that only farmed salmon is eligible for organic certification in Denmark, where there are strict sustainability, health and animal welfare requirements in production. On the other hand, most wild salmon populations in our part of the world are in poor condition and have higher concentrations of environmental toxins than farmed salmon ”.
Organic salmon
Despite their higher price, many organic foods have significantly increased their market shares in Denmark in recent years. However, sales of organic fish, including salmon, remain sluggish. Since organic salmon scored highly in both rounds of the taste test, the researchers believe there is obvious potential for organic smoked salmon producers and other stakeholders.
“There is a clear opportunity for promotion, by equipping consumers with more information on the positive aspects that differentiate organic salmon from conventional and wild-caught salmon. For example, more information could be included on the packaging to help guide consumers regarding the sustainability and health benefits of organic smoked salmon. At the same time, the industry should work to increase the availability of organic options in local stores, as it can still be difficult to get, ”says Reinbach.
The study appears in Food quality and preference.
Source: University of Copenhagen