Sampling of Atlantic salmon using the Norwegian Quality cut (NQC) vs. Whole fillet; differences in contaminant and nutrient contents

Abstract

Risk- benefit assessments of seafood require high-quality food composition data. In accordance with EU regulations, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) has conventionally been sampled using the Norwegian Quality Cut (NQC), a sub-cut of the middle section of the fish, in Norwegian surveillance programs. By comparing the contents of nutrients and contaminants in 34 samples of farmed Atlantic salmon, we aimed to evaluate the representativeness of the NQC compared with the whole fillet. Of the 129 analytes evaluated, eight single analytes, in addition to 25 different fatty acids, showed significant differences between the cuts. Significant differences were evident for total fat, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and sum PCB-6, but not for the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. We further suggest that the NQC may still be used in large-scale sampling of Atlantic salmon, and that the whole fillet would be preferable when analysing the content of nutrients.