--- title: "Salmon farms switch to chicken feed amid rising costs" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-10-17T00:05:17.398Z" source_reported: "2026-10-16T18:31:13.000Z" updated: "2026-10-17T00:05:17.398Z" trust_score: 68 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-17T01:00:18.519327+00:00" --- # Salmon farms switch to chicken feed amid rising costs *Producers cite price increases for fishmeal as the reason for using poultry by-products.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 68 of 100, higher is better. Named expert quoted and several independent outlets report feed change, meeting source and attribution criteria. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Explains cost motive, provides expert quote, uses specific names and figures, and stays coherent. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headline is clickbaity; many digests use sensational language, but facts are presented plainly. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Several of Europe's largest salmon producers are now using poultry by-products in their fish feed. - The switch is attributed to the significant increase in the price of traditional fishmeal. - Feeding salmon animal protein was illegal until 2013, but restrictions were later relaxed. - Consumers may not be aware of the change as feed ingredients are not listed on product labels. Large salmon farming companies across Europe are introducing feed made from poultry by-products, such as bones and organs, for their fish. This change is a response to the escalating cost of traditional fishmeal, which has doubled in price over the last two years. Poultry-based feed, by contrast, costs approximately half as much per tonne. ## Disagreement on consumer awareness While some reports indicate consumers may not be aware of the change because feed ingredients are not listed on product labels, others suggest that supermarkets were previously reluctant to sell salmon raised this way due to fears of consumer backlash. The Daily Mail notes that market research suggests people are not aware of the ingredients in animal feed. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the specific cost savings per tonne of poultry-based feed compared to fishmeal, a detail present in the centre-rated report. None of the right-rated digests mention the specific cost savings per tonne of poultry-based feed compared to fishmeal, a detail present in the centre-rated report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 43% (3) - Centre: 14% (1) - Right: 43% (3) 13 of 20 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-17T01:00:18.519327+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-17T01:45:13.178Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Reports from the left-rated outlets focused on the shift to poultry by-products for salmon feed. Channel 4 News highlighted that some of Europe's biggest fish farmers are now using these materials. IFLScience noted consumer apprehension, stating people are 'fishy' about feeding chicken to salmon. Spiegel reported that feeding farmed fish animal protein was forbidden until 2013 and that the taboo appears to have fallen, suggesting manufacturers had previously avoided it due to consumer fears. ### Centre - The centre-rated report from the Daily Mail detailed the introduction of poultry bone and organ feed at offshore farms by Leroy Seafood Group, a supplier to Tesco. It also stated that Mowi, a supplier to Sainsbury's and Asda, plans to use poultry feed in Scotland and Norway. The report explained that traditional fishmeal prices have doubled while chicken-based feed is half the price. It also noted that feeding salmon animal protein was illegal until 2013, with restrictions later relaxed due to new evidence showing no risk of BSE transmission. The article included expert opinion stating the feed is safe and high-quality, and mentioned that salmon farmers in Chile and Canada have used these methods for years. A key concern raised was the lack of transparency, as feed ingredients are not required to be listed on product labels. ### Right - Right-rated reports from Svenska Dagbladet and Kronen Zeitung highlighted that chicken is now on the salmon menu and that salmon being bred is getting more chicken to eat. These reports noted that this practice was previously seen as unnatural by consumers and that Norwegian salmon producers are now choosing to break an unwritten law. Vz.ru stated that the largest European salmon producers have begun using chicken meat as feed due to a sharp increase in fish flour prices, with poultry-based feed costing more than half the price per ton of fishmeal. The reports mentioned that the price of fish flour has nearly doubled over the past two years. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 2 - unknown: 13 - veryHigh: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Channel 4](https://channel4.com/news/poultry-by-products-being-used-to-feed-salmon-in-europe) — Poultry by-products being used to feed Salmon in Europe - [IFLScience](https://iflscience.com/el-nino-is-pushing-european-salmon-farmers-to-start-feeding-their-fish-chicken-84959) — El Niño Is Pushing European Salmon Farmers To Start Feeding Their Fish Chicken - [bd.nl](https://bd.nl/buitenland/grote-zalmkwekerijen-gaan-overstag-en-voeren-de-vissen-restvlees-van-kippen-een-zeer-gevoelige-kwestie~a6338567) — Large Salmon Farms Are Giving in and Feeding the Fish Chicken Leftovers: ‘A Very Sensitive Issue’ - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16214319/Producers-feed-salmon-chicken-meat.html) — Would YOU eat chicken-fed salmon? It could be sold in UK supermarkets - [Pénzcentrum](https://penzcentrum.hu/vasarlas/20261016/ki-nem-talalod-mivel-kezdtek-el-etetni-a-magyar-boltokban-kaphato-meregdraga-lazacokat-1207397) — You Won't Guess What They Started Feeding the Extremely Expensive Salmon Available in Hungarian Stores - [NewsBomb](https://newsbomb.gr/kosmos/story/1770241/paragogoi-solomoy-stin-evropi-taizoun-ta-psaria-tous-me-kotopoulo) — Why Salmon Producers in Europe Are Feeding Their fish... Chicken - The Role of El Niño - [Mediafax](https://mediafax.ro/stirile-zilei/somonul-pe-care-il-mananci-ar-putea-fi-hranit-cu-resturi-de-pui-marii-producatori-europeni-schimba-reteta-iar-consumatorii-nu-afla-de-pe-eticheta-23826403) — The Salmon You Eat Could Be Fed with Chicken Scraps. Large European Producers Change the Recipe, and Consumers Are Not on the Label. - [Telegraf – Najnovije vesti](https://nauka.telegraf.rs/naucne-zanimljivosti/4415569-velika-promena-u-najvecim-evropskim-ribnjacima-losose-hrane-mesom-zivine) — A Big Change in Europe's Largest Fish Farms: Salmon Are Fed Poultry Meat - [Upsala Nya Tidning](https://unt.se/ekonomi/artikel/kyckling-nu-pa-laxens-meny/rgowozxj) — Chicken – Now on the Salmon Menu - [Svenska Dagbladet](https://svd.se/a/58wWWm/kyckling-nu-pa-laxens-meny) — Chicken – Now on the Salmon Menu - [ORF.at News](https://orf.at/stories/3445144) — Controversial Aquaculture: Chicken Waste as New Salmon Feed - [Kronen Zeitung](https://krone.at/4335743) — Breeding Salmon Gets More and More Chicken to Eat - [Folha de S.Paulo](https://redir.folha.com.br/redir/online/emcimadahora/rss091/*https://c-level.folha.uol.com.br/agro/2026/10/criadores-de-salmao-passam-a-usar-derivados-de-frango-na-racao.shtml) — Salmon Reared with Chicken: Understand the Change in Ration - 15/10/2026 - [ieidiseis.gr](https://ieidiseis.gr/kosmos/889830/solomos-zootrofes-kotopoulo) — Salmon with Chicken: The New Trend in European Fish Food - [Spiegel](https://spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/lachs-zuchtlachs-wird-wohl-zunehmend-mit-huehnchen-gefuettert-a-aef859b9-0896-4d56-8399-676fc14862dc) — Breeding Salmon Is Probably Increasingly Fed with Chicken - [belta.by](https://belta.by/world/view/proizvoditeli-lososja-v-evrope-nachali-kormit-rybu-kurinym-mjasom-v-tseljah-ekonomii-806017-2026) — The Salmon Producers in Europe Began Feeding Chicken Meat to Save Money. - [Dagens industri](https://di.se/live/laxodlare-gar-pippi-pa-kyckling) — Salmon Farmers Are Obsessed with Chicken - [Life.ru](https://life.ru/p/ryba-na-kurinoy-diete-v-evrope-lososya-nachali-vyraschivat-na-novom-korme) — Chicken Diet Fish: In Europe Salmon Has Been Grown on New Feed - [1prime.ru](https://1prime.ru/20261015/proizvoditeli-874262216.html) — European Salmon Producers Started Feeding Fish Chicken Meat - [vz.ru](https://vz.ru/news/2026/10/15/1463198.html) — European Salmon Producers Began Feeding Fish Chicken Meat ## Questions **Why are salmon farms switching to chicken feed?** Salmon farms are switching to chicken feed because the price of traditional fishmeal has doubled over the past two years. Poultry-based feed costs about half as much per tonne, offering significant cost savings for producers. **Is it safe to eat salmon fed on chicken by-products?** Yes, experts state it is safe to feed salmon on chicken by-products. These products are high-quality proteins similar to fish meal and do not carry risks such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions. **When did feeding salmon animal protein become legal?** Feeding farmed salmon with animal protein was illegal until 2013. After that date, restrictions were relaxed, allowing producers to use ingredients like poultry by-products. **Will consumers know if their salmon is fed chicken?** It is unclear if consumers will know. Manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients used in animal feed on product labels, meaning consumers may not be aware of the change from fishmeal to chicken-based feed. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Salmon farms switch to chicken feed amid rising costs", https://mediabias.news/business/salmon-farms-switch-to-chicken-feed-amid-rising-costs