OSU has three publications comparing farmed and wild salmon. The first two
are available (for about $12) from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:
1-800-342-9678 or <getinfo@haworth.com>. Order by Journal, Volume and
(number):
G. Sylvia et. al. Organoleptic Qualities of Farmed and Wild Salmon. Journal
of Aquatic Food Product Technology, Vol. 4(1) 1995, 13 pages.
Gilbert Sylvia et. al. Changing Trends in Seafood Markets: The Case of
Farmed and Wild Salmon. Journal of Aquatic Food Products Marketing, Vol.
3(2) 1996, 14 pages.
The third is available for copy and postage cost (about $15) from:
<sherri.nordyke@hmsc.orst.edu>:
A Comparison of Farmed and Wild salmon: Consumer Preferences, Proximal
Analysis, Taste Test Panel Scores. Oregon State University Agricultural
Experiment Station, Special Report 906, August 1992. 109 pages.
The conclusions of these reports seem to be about the same as Howgate's
experience. While consumers and taste panels could distinguish between
wild and farmed salmon it was probably more related to fat content than
other attributes. Consumers tended to prefer the lower fat content of wild
salmon. Condition (quality) of the raw material was more important than
anything else.
Ken Hilderbrand
*************
At 09:11 AM 11/17/98 -0000, howgate wrote:
>On 15 November Lewis Shuckman wrote:
>
>> Dear Group:
>> I am trying to find out what the flavor characteristics are between
>Atlantic
>> farmed salmon and wild salmon. size and weight being the same as well as
>water
>> Temperature if this is at all possable.Thank you Lewis Shuckman
>>
>
>My own experience of tasting farmed and wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland is
>that there is no systematic difference. The wild fish were caught in nets
>in the approaches to the estuaries of rivers to which they were returning
>for spawning. There was some variation in flavour within sets, but much
>overlap. I did not carry out any systematic flavour profile tests to
>quantify the flavour characteristics of the samples. I am discounting the
>effect of lipid content on perceived sensory characteristics. Oiliness is
>more a mouth feel than a flavour.
>
>Schallich and Gormley, (Schallich, E. & Gormley, T.R., 1996, Condition
>factor, fat content and flavour of farmed and wild salmon, Farm & Food,
>6(3), 28-31.), compared the flavour of farmed and wild Atlantic salmon from
>Irish sources. They do not provide details of the experimental procedures
>in the paper, but the context points to a paired preference test being
>used. They write:' Twenty-member taste panels were unable to detect a
>statistically significant flavour difference between farmed and wild salmon
>(steamed and served cold) in three separate panels, with responses of 12/8,
>11/9 and 12/8 in favour of the farmed samples. A preference ratio of at
>least 15/5 is required for significance.'. Though the individual panel
>sessions did not show a significant effect at p=0.05, I see no reason why
>the results should not be pooled. In that case, the proportion in favour of
>the farmed salmon is 35/60 and is significant at the p=0.05 level. They
>also concluded from an instrumental shear test on cooked samples that the
>wild salmon had a firmer texture than the farmed.
>
>Peter Howgate
>
>
------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr.
Seafood Processing Specialist
Oregon State University
Marine Science Center
2030 Sth Marine Science Drive
Newport Oregon 97365-5296
telno 541 867-0242 (and voice mail)
faxno 541 867-0138
email <ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu> (NEW 6/1/98)
****************************