Norwegian salmon and environmental substances and toxins
It's safe to eat Norwegian salmon. Due to strict regulations and monitoring, the risk of consuming unwanted substances or environmental toxins is very low.
In Norway, fish farming is monitored and fish is analysed for possible traces of contaminants regularly. Read more about the management of food safety and monitoring of Norwegian farmed salmon below.
Norwegian farmed salmon is safe to eat
Almost all food that we consume has traces of environmental toxins, including fish and salmon. The positive benefits of eating salmon, however, far outweigh the risks of possible contaminants or unwanted environmental toxins, which are very low.
PCBs, dioxins and mercury are the most common environmental toxins in the ocean. Fish are exposed to PCBs, dioxins and mercury, which are ingested through the food they eat.
Farmed salmon, however, are fed with highly controlled ingredients. It is the feed that affects the content in farmed fish, and the content of environmental contaminants in feed is strictly regulated.
As a result, the levels of these contaminants in farmed Norwegian salmon have decreased significantly and contain fewer environmental toxins than oily wild fish.
The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research has created a database, where you can search for and compare the content of unwanted substances and nutrients in fish and other seafood.
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment has assessed the benefits of eating fish, namely the nutrients found in fish and the associated health benefits, against the potential risks.
The main conclusion is that the benefits of eating fish outweigh the negligible risk posed by current levels of environmental contaminants and other known foreign substances in fish.
Governmental and scientific institutions
• Norwegian Food Safety Authority
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) is a national governmental body, whose aim is to ensure that food and drinking water are as safe as possible for consumers and to contribute to a high level of plant, fish and animal health.
• The Norwegian Medical Products Agency (NOMA)
The Norwegian Medical Products Agency (NOMA) is responsible for ensuring that people and animals have access to safe medicines and medical devices.
• The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM)
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) carries out independent risk assessments for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency.
• The Institute of Marine Research (IMR)
The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) is one of the largest marine research institutes in Europe. Their main activities are research, advisory services, and monitoring.
• The Norwegian Veterinary Institute
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is a biomedical research institute, and the national leading centre of expertise in biosecurity in fish and land animals.
• The Norwegian Government
The Norwegian government manages aquaculture and fisheries through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
Safe seafood with control and monitoring
According to international agreements and EU legislation, Norway is required to have a monitoring programme for drugs, illegal substances and environmental toxins in food-producing animals, including farmed salmon.
On behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research is responsible for analyses and reporting in the monitoring programme for Norwegian farmed fish.
Every year, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research examines farmed fish for dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs, heavy metals, pesticides and brominated flame retardants. None of the samples are above the threshold value. The samples are taken annually, and the reports can be read on the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research's website.
Governance and regulation
Aquaculture in Norway is at the highest level managed by the Norwegian government, mainly through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Coordination and cooperation between the ministries and the industry ensure safe seafood and sustainable practices.
Scientific monitoring and research
In addition to the strict governance of aquaculture to ensure food safety in Norway, the seafood industry is thoroughly monitored and controlled by several institutions that do scientific research and monitoring. This research and monitoring of aquaculture ensures safe seafood through scientific methods and practices.
The Institute of Marine Research
The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Bergen is one of the largest marine research institutes in Europe, with about 1,030 employees. The main activities are research, advisory services and monitoring. It is a leading supplier of knowledge relating to the sustainable management of the resources in Norway’s marine ecosystems and the whole food chain from the sea to the table.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) in Oslo is a national governmental body, whose aim is to ensure that food and drinking water are as safe as possible for consumers and to contribute to a high level of plant, fish and animal health. NFSA contributes to ethical keeping of animals and encourages environmentally friendly production. In addition, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority regulate and control animal health personnel.
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is a biomedical research institute, and the national leading centre of expertise in biosecurity in fish and land animals. The most important function of the Veterinary Institute is contingency planning and competence development aimed at preventing threats to the health of fish, animals and human beings.
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) carries out independent risk assessments for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency. It plays an important role towards ensuring that Norwegian consumers have safe food and towards protecting the environment. The Scientific Panels is comprised of 117 independent experts with broad interdisciplinary competencies.
Use of antibiotics in Norwegian farmed salmon
In Norway, antibiotics are very rarely used in aquaculture and salmon farming. For the last 30 years, the need for antibiotics has been almost eliminated by effective vaccines in Norwegian aquaculture.
Today, less than 1% of all Norwegian salmon are treated with antibiotics in its life course.
Treated fish are subject to a strict quarantine period to make sure that no antibiotic residuals end up in consumer products. This development is not only a great win for fish health but also for the world issue of antibiotic resistance.
In 2024, Norway was the country in Europe with the lowest sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals, according to a report from the European Medicines Agency (external link to PDF).
Most consumers are aware that salmon is a healthy food, but on the other hand, there is a persistent rumour that farmed salmon contains antibiotics. But research shows:
- In 2024, 99 percent of Norwegian farmed salmon grew up without any use of antibiotics.
- The annual tests of the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research also showed that no residues were found in Norwegian salmon.
No exceedance above limit for mercury in Norwegian farmed salmon
For environmental contaminants, there are maximum permitted levels for dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, the sum of PCB-6, and the heavy metals mercury, lead and cadmium.
The official monitoring data shows that levels in farmed fish do not exceed the maximum limits for these contaminants.
No exceedance of the EU's limit for illegal and undesirable substances
On behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) monitors the content of nutrients and undesirable substances in Norwegian seafood and tests and analyses seafood for various undesirable substances.
This annual monitoring is a requirement from the EU, to be able to sell Norwegian fish in Europe.
The monitoring tests for:
- illegal or unauthorized drugs
- substances with anabolic effects
- approved veterinary medicines
- environmental pollutants or contaminants
In 2024, the IMR analysed over 30,000 samples of Norwegian farmed fish, looking for illegal and unwanted substances.
No exceedances of the EU's limit values were found.
The results confirm that the levels of dioxins, mercury, lead, cadmium and illegal drugs, among other things, were below the limits set by the EU.
Full report for 2024 from the IMR here.
In fact, since 1997 there have been no findings of illegal substances or undesirable substances above the limit values in any farmed fish in Norway.
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) concludes that the health benefits of eating Norwegian fish outweigh the risk of environmental toxins, and that eating fish is safe, healthy and important for all age groups.