European Salmon Farms Turn to Poultry Byproducts for Cheaper Feed Amidst Rising Costs

European salmon producers are increasingly incorporating poultry byproducts into their fish feed, a move driven by soaring costs of traditional fishmeal and a search for more sustainable alternatives. This shift means that salmon sold in some European supermarkets may soon be raised on feed made from chicken parts, including bones and organs.

Leroy Seafood Group, a significant Norwegian salmon producer supplying Tesco, has already implemented poultry-derived feed across its offshore farms. Mowi, the world's largest salmon producer and a supplier to Sainsbury's and Asda, intends to introduce similar feed in its Scottish and Norwegian operations. SalMar, the second-largest producer, began testing chicken-based feed in March.

Traditional fishmeal, a staple in salmon diets, has seen its price nearly double in the past two years. In contrast, poultry-derived feed is approximately half the cost per tonne. This economic incentive is a primary driver for producers like Leroy Seafood Group, which stated that poultry meal was the only available raw material that met their needs at the required scale.

Safety and Sustainability Arguments

Aquaculture nutrition experts, such as Professor Margareth Øverland from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, assert that feeding salmon on chicken byproducts is safe. She notes that these products are high-quality proteins, comparable to fish meal, free from antinutritional factors, readily available, and contain valuable lipids. Farmers in Chile and Canada have reportedly used such methods for years without issue. The efficacy of poultry feed is also considered well-established.

Advocates for poultry-based feed also highlight its potential environmental benefits. Producing fishmeal often requires catching vast quantities of edible fish, contributing to overfishing and depleting fish stocks. Utilizing chicken byproducts, which are otherwise unfit for human consumption, is seen by some as a more sustainable approach, aligning with circular economy principles. Professor Øverland believes consumers will accept these products, emphasizing their safety and lack of high-risk materials.

Historical Context and Consumer Concerns

Until 2013, feeding salmon on poultry-based products was prohibited in Europe due to concerns about disease transmission, particularly bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). However, regulations were relaxed after evidence indicated that poultry does not carry the bovine prions responsible for BSE.

Despite the established safety and sustainability arguments, a significant concern remains regarding transparency. Current regulations do not require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of animal feed, meaning consumers may not be aware of whether their salmon was raised on fishmeal or poultry byproducts. Market research indicates consumer apprehension, with a 2026 study by the food institute Nofima revealing that consumers in the UK and France were largely unaware of salmon feed ingredients. Nofima researcher Florent Govaerts noted that chicken is often viewed with skepticism and perceived as "unnatural and disgusting."

Retailer Policies

Major UK supermarkets have adopted varying stances on chicken-fed salmon. Marks & Spencer stated that their salmon feed does not contain chicken or any land animal protein, and they do not sell other brands of salmon. Waitrose and Sainsbury's confirmed that their own-label salmon products do not permit poultry-fed fish. However, neither of these retailers specified whether third-party brands sold in their stores use chicken-fed fish or if they enforce specific feed policies for those brands. Tesco and Asda did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.