Is Farmed Salmon Really That Bad? Here's Why It's One of the Most Toxic Foods on the Planet
Let’s talk salmon.
Marketed as a heart-healthy superfood rich in omega-3s, salmon is a go-to protein for many health-conscious eaters. But not all salmon is created equal—and if you’re reaching for farmed salmon thinking it’s a nourishing choice, it might be time to think again.
In fact, farmed salmon has been labelled by researchers as one of the most toxic foods in the modern diet.
What Is Farmed Salmon, Exactly?
Farmed salmon are raised in crowded sea pens or tanks—think fish feedlots—designed for mass production. These operations are far removed from the salmon’s natural cold-water environment and diet.
To survive and grow in these confined, unnatural conditions, farmed salmon are often exposed to:
Toxic pesticides and chemicals, including those used to treat sea lice outbreaks (which are rampant in crowded pens)
Antibiotics, added to feed to prevent disease in high-density settings
Synthetic colourants to make the grey flesh appear a healthy pink
Highly processed fish pellets, made from inferior ingredients including soy, grains, and other fish (sometimes from contaminated sources)
This toxic cocktail can have serious consequences—not just for the fish, but for your health too.
What Makes Farmed Salmon So Toxic?
Multiple independent studies have shown that farmed salmon contains:
High levels of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) - These include PCBs, dioxins, and flame retardants—yes, the kind used in electronics. POPs accumulate in the fat of farmed salmon and have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, obesity, diabetes, and neurological disorders.
Pesticide residues - to fight sea lice, many farms use chemicals like emamectin benzoate, which can damage the nervous system and has been banned for use in some food products.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria -overuse of antibiotics in fish farming contributes to the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance—a growing threat to human health.
What About Omega-3s?
While wild salmon is a fantastic source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, farmed salmon has a dramatically altered fatty acid profile. Due to their unnatural, grain-based diet, farmed fish have:
More omega-6s (pro-inflammatory)
Less omega-3s (anti-inflammatory)
A skewed omega ratio that can promote inflammation rather than protect against it
Fake Pink
Wild salmon get their beautiful reddish-pink hue naturally by eating krill and other tiny crustaceans rich in astaxanthin — a powerful antioxidant. Farmed salmon, on the other hand, are fed a synthetic version of this pigment because their diet (mostly corn- and soy-based pellets) doesn't provide it. Without it, their flesh would be a dull grey. Yes — that salmon-pink colour is added purely for aesthetics, not nutrition.
Environmental Impact
Intensive salmon farming pollutes our oceans. These open-net pens are essentially floating feedlots — allowing waste, uneaten feed, antibiotics, and parasites to flow freely into surrounding waters. This pollution can damage delicate marine ecosystems and spread disease to wild fish populations. In places like Norway, Scotland and Chile, salmon farms have been linked to declining wild salmon numbers and serious ecological imbalance.
Crowding, Disease and Chemicals
Farmed salmon are crammed into pens in their thousands, unable to swim freely like their wild counterparts. This extreme overcrowding makes them highly susceptible to disease and lice infestations. To combat this, producers often rely on antibiotics, pesticides and other chemicals — many of which can accumulate in the fish and pose potential health risks to consumers.
So What’s the Alternative?
If you're eating salmon for health benefits, it's essential to:
Choose wild-caught salmon (Alaskan sockeye or pink salmon are good choices)
Limit seafood from questionable sources
Explore low-toxin alternatives like sardines, mackerel, or anchovies—which are naturally rich in omega-3s and less prone to toxin build-up
Functional Medicine Perspective
As a practitioner, I see the downstream effects of chronic toxin exposure in so many clients—fatigue, hormone imbalances, brain fog, autoimmunity, and more. Functional medicine teaches us to look upstream at environmental and dietary triggers.
Choosing wild, clean, nutrient-dense foods is one of the most powerful ways we can reduce toxic load and support the body’s natural healing pathways.
Final Thoughts
Farmed salmon might look the part—but beneath the surface, it's a chemically-laden, highly processed product that can do more harm than good.
Your food should fuel your health, not fight it.
And when it comes to salmon, nature knows best.
