Imported salmon reared on the innards of chickens could already be on the shelves of Irish supermarkets following a change in how international producers feed their fish.
And if it is not there now, it might soon be on the way.
But if consumers believe feeding chicken to salmon is “unnatural and disgusting” – as one recent study put it – they can still ensure that fish and fowl are kept apart by buying locally-sourced salmon.
That is because Irish producers have decided to continue to exclude chicken-based feed from the diets of the fish they farm.
It emerged last week that some of Europe’s biggest salmon producers have started feeding chicken to their salmon, a practice that has not been employed for years, although it is legally permissible.
It is also considerably cheaper than the more traditional proteins salmon have been reared on.
The price disparity between protein-rich fish and chicken feed has worsened over the last two years due to dwindling wild fish stocks and soaring demand for salmon feed in China.
That has seen the price of fish meal almost doubling and as of now poultry feed can be bought for less than half the price per tonne which has made it more attractive to producers if not consumers.
[ Ireland’s wild Atlantic salmon stocks down 80% since 1970s Opens in new window ]
For many years, supermarkets across Europe have shied away from stocking salmon-fed animal byproducts due to concerns about a consumer backlash.
A 2026 study by food institute Nofima found that consumers in the UK and France thought it was “unnatural and disgusting” to feed chicken to salmon.
But the spike in fish meal prices has given pause for thought and led to a significant shift in recent months.
Lerøy Seafood Group, one of Norway’s biggest farmers and a supplier to Tesco in the UK, confirmed to the Financial Times this week that it had introduced chicken byproducts at all of its offshore salmon farms.
The newspaper also reported that Mowi, the biggest salmon producer in Europe, was planning to introduce poultry-based feed at its farms in Norway and Scotland while Norway’s Grieg Seafood introduced chicken meal and oil in July. SalMar, the world’s second-largest salmon producer, started testing poultry’s use in feed in March.
If salmon reared on chicken makes its way into Irish supermarkets, shoppers will struggle to identify it as retailers and brands do not list fish-feed ingredients on packaging.
One way Irish shoppers can ensure their salmon is free of chicken innards is to shop locally. According to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), 99 per cent of Irish-farmed salmon is certified organic, and organically grown salmon in Ireland is “fed a diet of sustainable organic feed, that does not include land-based animal products”.
[ Wild salmon are on the verge of extinction. There is not one fish to spare Opens in new window ]
“The feed comes from international feed manufacturers who are certified to produce organic salmon feed. This certification is governed by EU law,” a spokeswoman said.
She added that the feed is “typically made up of fish oil, fish meal, vegetable ingredients, vitamins, minerals, pigments, and amino acids. The antioxidant astaxanthin is added to salmon feed to boost the fish’s immune system and to protect their tissue. It is also a source of vitamin A. Astaxanthin is the substance that gives salmon its pink colour.”
She stressed that the Astaxanthin must be derived from organic sources, such as organic crustacean shells…